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JECT TO  AN  OVERDUE  FINE  AS 
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DESK. 


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MAR  1  8  1987 


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rhe 
New  Rhubarb  Culture 

.A    Complete    Guide  to    DARK 

FORCING  and  FIELD 

CULTURE 

HOW  TO   PREPARE 
and   USE    RHUBARB 


Fully   Illustrated 

IVitJi   orif^inal  pJioiograpJis  takc'ii  expressly  fo)-   this    7uork 


By  ].  E.  MORSE 


Aiitho7-  of  Garden   Specials,    Jl'/ieat  Specials,  etc.      Wit 
Grand  Prize  in  the  National  Garden  Contest 


PART  II 

Additional  Chapters  on  Other  Methods 

By  G.  BURNAP   FISKE 


NEW  YORK 
ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY 

1903 


COI'VRIGHTED    1901 
BV 

ORANGE  JUDD   COMPANY, 

All  Rights  Reserved. 


CONTENTS. 

Introduction  and  Note, • By  the  Author 

PART    I. 

CHAPTER   I. 
RHUBARB— ITS  CULTIVATION  AND  HOME.  Page 

A  fragment  of  history — Its  native  home — Its  acclimation — Not  a 
vital  question , 1 

CHAPTER    II. 
THE  FORCING  PLACE. 
The  commercial  cellar — The  house  cellar— Cellars  with  hard 
floors — Growing  in  hotbeds — Growing  in  the  greenhouse — 
A  cheap  forcing  cellar — Nooks  and  corners, 5 

CHAPTER   III. 
WORK  or  FORCING. 
Starting  the  work— Forcing  season — Two  crops  in  one  season — 
Setting  the  plants — Handling  the  roots — Age  of  roots  for 
forcing — Best  varieties, 16 

CHAPTER    IV. 
HOW   TO    SUCCEED. 

Heating — As  to  temperature — Ventilation — Light — Moisture — 
Fertilizing— Thinning  out, 23 

CHAPTER    V. 
HANDLING  THE   CROP. 

Time  of  maturing— Gathering  the  crop — Tying  up — Marketing,     29 

CHAPTER    VI. 
FERTILIZERS. 
Light  or   thin  soils — Barnyard  manure — Binders — Acidity   of 
soil — Nitrate  of  soda — Jadoo  fibre,   ^3 


mm^ 


IV         THE  NEW  RHUBARB  CULTURE. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

CULTURE.  Page 

Soil — Preparation — Propagation — Unforced  roots — Forced  roots 
— Plants  for  setting — Growing  from  the  seed — Tillage, 39 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
COMPAiasUN   OF   OLD   AND   NEW   MKTHODS. 
Criticisms  answered  —  The  old  method — The  new  method — 
Quality — Adaptability,  4;3 

CHAPTER   IX. 
FUTURE  OUTLOOK. 

Magnitude  of  forcing  industry — Creating  demand — Benefits,  . .     47 

CHAPTER   X. 

Extracts  from   Bulletin,    No.    55,   June,    1899,    Rhode    Island 
Experiment  Station.     By  Fred  W.  Card,  M.S 50 

CHAPTER   XI. 
HOW  TO  USE   RHUBARB. 

For  dessert — To  cook  for  sauce — To  preserve  for  winter  use, . .     59 


PART    II. 


CHAPTER   I. 
VARIOUS  FORCING  METHODS. 

Sash  houses  and  cold  frames — Hot  water  system — Steam  forcing 
in  open  fields — Exhibition  stalks — Home  methods 73 

CHAPTER   II. 
EXPERIENCE  IN   FIELD    CULTURE. 

Methods  of  Long  Island  growers — Maryland — The  Boston  dis- 
trict—Illinois— The  Northwest — The  Pacific  coast 90 

CHAPTER    III. 
VARIETIES   AND  STATION  TESTS. 

The  leading  .sorts  described — Range  of  adaptation — Northern 

limits — New  seedlings — Work  of  the  experiment  stations,     103 

CHAPTER   IV. 
HINTS   AND   HELPS. 
For  early  market— Insects  and  blights — Culture  of  medicinal 
rhubarb— Pie  plant  for  home  use— Seed  raising— Food  value 
—Fertilizing  constituents—Irrigation- Field  jottings, 115 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PART    1. 

Page 

Heady  for  Forcing, 4 

Ready  to  Market, -. ^ 

Grown  in  Hotbed  for  the  Ciiristmas  Market, 1<> 

A  Bed  in  the  House  Cellar, 12 

Plowing  Out  Rhubarb  Roots, 1-i 

lihubarb  Roots  Ready  for  the  Cellar, IH 

Preparing  for  Market, 28 

On  the  Display  Stand  in  a  Detroit  Commission  House, 81 

Effects  of  Nitrate  of  Soda, -^'^ 

Tools  Used  in  Rhubarb  C  uliure, 42 

Product  of  Frozen  and  Unfrozen  Roots, ^>1 

Leaf  Development— In  Light  and  in  Darkness, ^7 


PART    II. 

Long  Island  Sash  House, ^4 

Hot  Water  Forcing  House, "^'^ 

Hot  Water  Forcing  House  (Interior  View) 


W.  W.  Rawson's  Cold  Frames  for  Rhubarb,    79 

Long  Island  Cold  Frame, ^0 

Sash  and  Shutter, 80 

Steam  Forcing  in  the  Open  Field, 84 

Forcing  with  Liquid  Manure, 87 

Rhubarb  Field  at  Jamaica,  L.  L.  ^*> 

Rhubarb  Ready  for  New  York  Market, 9(3 

Rhubarb  in  Field  Culture, 07 

Method  of  Ridging  in  Fall  and  Spring,  99 

Ridged  Bed  in  Winter, 100 

Stalks  of  Linnffius, 104 

Stalks  of  Victoria, 104 

Bunch  of  Victoria  Ready  for  Market, 105 

Bunch  of  Mammoth  Red, ■ 106 


\l  THE    NEAV    KHrHARR    CUr/rURE. 

rage 

Hill  of  8t.  Martin's 107 

Monarcli  Rhubarb, 107 

Packing  Shed  for  Rhubarb, 116 

Interior  Plan  of  Packing  Shed ; 117 

The  Rhubarb  Curculio,  119 

Stalk  Injured  by  Curculio, 120 

Plant  of  the  Medicinal  Rhubarb, 121 

Seedling  and  Root  Cutting, 126 


IXTRODUCTIOK 

WiTHix  a  comparatively  short  time,  the  forcing  of 
various  garden  vegetahles  has  assumed  such  vast  pro- 
portions, that  now  the  products  of  the  forcing  house 
are  exposed  in  all  the  city  markets  throughout  the  en- 
tire year,  and  many  relishes  in  the  way  of  radishes,  let- 
tuce, cucumhers,  etc.,  that  hut  a  short  time  ago  couhl 
only  be  obtained  for  a  few  weeks  in  their  s]3ecial  season, 
are  now  the  daily  embellishments  of  the  table.  But  the 
end  is  not  yet ;  the  forcing  industry  is  only  in  its 
infancy,  and  will  at  no  distant  day  revolutionize  the 
whole  gardening  system. 

The  expensive  methods  of  glass  and  greenhouse  cul- 
ture ha^'e  heretofore  made  it  possible  for  only  the  few 
to  engage  in  the  work,  and  the  consequent  high  prices 
of  the  products  thus  grown  have  made  it  impossible 
for  any  but  the  more  favored  ones  to  enjoy  the  luxuries 
thus  produced. 

Experiments  in  the  dark  cellar  are  demonstrating 
that  many  vegetables  may  be  there  grown  in  their  highest 
perfection,  and  erelong  its  inexpensive  methods  will  to 
a  large  extent  supersede  the  costly  glass. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  following  pages  to  in- 
duce farmers  and  gardeners  to  rush  wildly  into  an  enter- 
prise as  yet  little  known  ;  but  the  rather  to  open  up  a  way 
and  a  highway  whereon  many  are  reaching  success  and 
spanning  the  long  gap  of  the  profitless  Winter  months 


Vlll  THE    NEW    RHUBARB    CULTURP:. 

with   a   .snug   cash    hahmce   for   the   profit   side   of   tlio 
ledger. 

If  it  shall  prove  thus,  and  not  only  the  tillers  of  the 
soil,  but  many  a  toiler  in  the  humbler  vocations  of  life 
shall  find  a  grain  from  which  to  forge  a  "golden  link 
in  the  iron  chain  of  toil/'  The  N'ew  Rhubarb  Cuiture 
will  more  than  realize  the  highest  ambitions  of 

The  Author. 


NOTE. 

A  BRIEF  note  regarding  the  method  of  dark  forcing 
rhubarb^  published  in  tlie  Rural  Netv  Yorker  for  1898, 
excited  much  interest  and  became  the  subject  of  many 
inquiries.  In  order  to  more  clearly  answer  the  ques- 
tions thus  raised  a  brief  outliue  of  the  methods  was  later 
on  ])ul)lished  in  the  same  paper. 

This  gave  occasion  for  some  writers  with  very  little 
knowledge  of  the  matter  and  a  few  borrowed  ideas  to 
tell  what  they  eyidentl}^  did  not  know  about  the  subject. 
AMiolc  paragraphs  of  the  outline  were  woven  into  the 
articles  without  even  the  courtesy  of  quotation  marks. 
A  longer  acquaintance  with  the  work  and  some  practical 
experience  would  cause  them  to  disown  the  children  of 
their  earlier  years  and  wonder  why  they  had  fathered 
them  at  first. 

Wliile  fully  agreeing  with  my  illustrious  ancestor, 
Solomon,  that  ^'Tliere  is  nothing  new  under  the  Sun,'' 
the  fact  still  remains  that  the  woods  are  full  of  new 
methods  and  their  results,  developed  it  may  be  from 
old  ideas.  The  ideas  of  the  dark  forcing  method  are 
doubtless  not  entirely  new. 

To  say  that  I  am  the  author  and  finisher  of  the 
method  would  be  misleading. 

But  in  so  far  as  searching  through  the  highways 
and  bywa3^s  for  the  fragmentary  experiences  and  efforts 
of  many  growers,  and  in  so  :^r  as  gathering  up  these 
fragments  and  combining  them  with  several  years  of 


X  THE   NEW    RHUBARB    CULTURE. 

personal  and  practical  experience  and  presenting  them 
in  the  form  now  offered,  the  work  is  essentially  m}-  own. 

To  make  this  book  still  more  encyclopedic,  and  to 
completely  cover  the  whole  subject  of  rhnbarb  culture, 
by  the  older  methods  also,  Mr.  Fiske  has  carefully  com- 
piled a  comprehensive  statement  of  sucli  experiences, 
which  forms  Part  II.  of  this  work.  Obviously,  however, 
I  am  not  responsible  for  Part  II. 

J.  E.  MORSE. 

April,  1901. 


PART  1. 


CHAPTER    I„ 

RHUBARB  —  ITS   CULTIVATION    AND    HOME. 

A  Fragment  of  Ilisforij. — The  cultivation  of  rhubarb, 
like  some  well  established  laws,  extends  back  to  the  time 
when  the  memory  of  nuin  runneth  not  to  the  contrary. 

The  value  of  the  root  as  a  drug  has  long  been  known, 
so  long,  in  fact,  that  the  discoverer  of  its  medicinal 
qualities  will  never  be  known,  and  his  name  must  lie 
hidden  in  the  misty  shadows  of  the  past.  Its  record, 
however,  is  almost  contemporaneous  with  the  earliest 
written  history  as  it  is  described  in  the  Chinese  herbal 
Pen-King  supposedly  dating  back  to  nearly  3000  B.  C. 

For  ages  its  cultivation  was  confined  to  its  native 
home,  China,  but  in  a  prepared  form  finding  its  way  to 
various  parts  of  tlie  world.  The  cultivation  extended 
into  India  to  some  extent  and  India  rhubarb  finally 
became  an  established  article  of  commerce. 

It  remained  for  Russia,  upon  the  establishment  of 
trade  relations  with  China,  to  get  control  of  the  trade, 
and  to  so  supervise  and.  improve  tlie  methods  of  prep- 
aration that  Russian  rhubarb  became  famous  the  world 
over  and  its  price  per  pound  was  nearly  three  times  that 
of  opium. 

The  cultivation  was  finally  begun  in  Siberia  and 
along  the  Volga  from  whence  it  was  introduced  into 
England  in  1573  and  later  into  France.  Xo  attention, 
however,  was  paid  to  the  leaf  stalks,  which  presumably 
were  inferior  in  size  and  quality  to  the  product  of  to- 

Liibrarv 


2  THE    NEW    EHUBAKB    CULTURE. 

day;  but  the  use  of  the  leaves  as  a  pot  herb  is  iiieutioned 
in  Queen  Elizabeth's  time. 

The  i'hul)arh  cultivated  as  a  veo-etable  is  derived  from 
iiheuiii.  of  which  there  are  many  species  and  widely  dis- 
rrihuted  as  to  nativity.  Xearly  two  liundred  years  ago 
a  variety,  |)rol)ab]y  IJlieum  Iihaponticuni,  was  produced 
in  Kussia,  which  de\'eh)pc(l  far  hirgei'  and  finer  leal' 
stalks  and   was  known  as  ("rown   rhubarb. 

The  varieties  now  in  use  are  hybrids  between  Eheum 
Ehapoiiticuni.  KMieuni  rndulatuni,  and  Rheum  Pahna- 
tu.ni,  and  in  JMigland  weiv  brought  to  a  high  state  of  ])er- 
fection  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century. 

The  old  sorts  in  much  favor  were  Tobolsk  and 
Erford.  Later  on  came  ^Mitchelfs  Royal  Albert  and 
Dancer's  Early  Scarlet. 

The  principal  varieties  under  present  cultivation  in 
this  country  are  Myatt's  Victoria,  Myatt's  Linnanis,  and 
the  Mammoth  with  some  other  varieties,  probably  seed- 
lings and  bearing  local  names. 

About  forty  years  ago  strenuous  efforts  were  made 
in  this  country,  and  especially  in  Michigan,  to  cultivate 
it  as  a  wine  plant.  However,  the  inferior  quality  of  the 
wine  together  with  its  supposedly  injurious  effects,  high 
war  taxes,  and  other  contingencies,  combined  to  bring 
it  into  disfavor  and  the  project  was  abandoned. 

As  a  vegetable  its  cultivation  is  extending  both  in 
this  couiitry  and  ])ortions,  at  least,  of  Euro])e. 

/ts'  Xafirc  lloiii.c. — As  seen  from  the  foregoing,  the 
cultivation  of  idiubarb  as  a  drug  is  of  great  anti(piity  and 
as  to  locality,  widely  disseminated.  Tt  will  also  be  seen 
that  as  a  vegetable,  the  varieties  now  in  use  are  descend- 
ants of  a  variety  originating  in  a  fai'  northern  clime. 

//.<?  Acclimation. — The  j)arenl.  Inning  its  l)irth])lace 
in  the  rugged  frosts  and  snows  of  Siberia,  ^V\\\  its  chil- 


ITS   CULTIVATION   AND   HOME.  8 

clreu  thrive  in  the  warmer  hititudes  of  our  own  country? 
Let  us  see;  its  native  home  was  doubtless  in  the  region 
of  hititnde  50.  Xear  the  close  of  the  eio-hteenth  cen- 
tury it  was  introduced  into  England,  douljtless  through 
the  seed;  and  notwithstanding  the  abrupt  climatic 
changes  it  had  come  to  great  perfection  in  the  early  part 
of  the  present  century.  This  was  acconiplislied  through 
growing  from  the  seed  and  hybridization.  The  mild 
and  humid  climate  of  England  produces  it  in  great  per- 
fection. The  more  vigorous  climate  of  our  northern 
latitudes  produces  it  in  abundance  and  instances  of 
luxurious  growth  in  the  higher  altitudes  as  far  south 
as  Xorth  Carolina  are  recorded.  It  may  seem  safe  to 
say  that  through  car(iful  seed  selection  and  h3'bridizing 
it  may  be  successfully  grown  in  nearly  every  section  of 
the  United  States. 

Not  a  Vital  Question. — While  the  subject  of  acclima- 
tion is  of  great  importance  and  well  worth  careful  and 
continued  experiment^  it  is  not  a  question  of  life  or 
death  to  the  industry.  The  industry  will  grow;  and 
if  climatic  conditions  bar  its  production  out  of  some 
localities  or  even  countries,  the  product,  when  once  in- 
troduced there,  will  be  consumed  and  the  market,  at 
least,  will  not  be  barred. 


THE   NKAV    UHll^AKH    CULTUKK 


CHAPTEE  II. 

THE   FORCING  PLACE. 

In  order  to  so  present  the  method  of  forcing  rhubarh 
that  not  only  the  farmer  and  gardener  who  may  desire 
to  grow  for  market  purposes,  but  the  owner  of  a  village 
or  city  lot  may  provide  a  home  supply  of  this  whole- 
some luxury  from  January  to  April,  various  plans  for 
the  forcing  place  are  suggested. 

The  Commercial  Cellar. — The  illustration  ^^Eeady 
For  Forcing,''  shows  a  view  of  a  cheaply  constructed 
cellar,  much  in  favor  with  grovrers  for  the  wholesale 
market.  The  size  is  12  x  50  feet,  holding  between  500 
and  600  plants  set  in  bed!>  five  feet  wide,  on  either  side 
of  a  two  foot  passagewa}',  running  the  entire  length 
of  the  building. 

In  constructing  a  cellar  of  this  kind  the  ground  is 
excavated  two  feet  in  depth,  and  posts  set  two  feet  deep 
and  six  feet  apart  are  rough  boarded  for  the  walls.  The 
plates,  2  X  6  inches  are  spiked  on  top  of  posts;  the 
rafters,  same  size,  being  set  at  a  pitch  sufficient  to  shed 
water,  and  give  height  to  the  cellar,  which  is  seven 
feet  in  the  center  and  three  feet  at  the  sides.* 

The  roof  is  of  boards  either  lapped  or  laid  double  and 
covered  (during  the  forcing  season)  with  manure  to 
a  depth  of  eight  inches. 

The  entrance  is  at  one  end  of  the  cellar  through  a 
door  leading  into  an  entry  way  6x12  feet,  for  the  storage 

*  This  cellar  was  built  entirely  of  old  lumber,  and  the  cost  was  merely 
nominal.  In  using  new  material  a  saving  might  be  made  by  using  lighter 
stuff  say,  2x4  in.  for  plates  and  rafters. 


THE   XEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 


THE   FORCING   PLACE.  7 

of  fuel,  etc.  xVn  inner  door  entirel}^  excluding  light 
and  frost  leads  into  the  forcing  room. 

Heat  is  furnished  by  a  small  box  stove  set  about  15 
feet  from  the  entrance.  The  pipe  is  carried  to  a  flue 
at  the  rear  end  of  the  building.  To  insure  as  even  dis- 
tribution of  heat  as  possible  as  well  as  to  economize  in 
fuel  the  pipe  should  be  placed  much  lower  than  shown 
in  the  illustration. 

The  view  shows  the  cellar  filled  with  roots  and  heat 
just  started.  On  Dec.  14,  when  the  flash  light  was  taken, 
the  stalks  X\'ere  just  appearing  above  ground.  Twenty- 
seven  days  later  (Jan.  10)  18  doz.  were  picked  and  sold 
at  TO  cents  per  doz.  or  $12.60  for  the  first  picking. 

"Ready  To  Market,"  is  a  view  of  the  same  cellar 
just  before  the  second  picking  (Jan.  1?)  when  twice  the 
amount  of  the  first  picking  was  ready  for  market. 

Several  subsequent  pickings  were  made,  after  which 
the  roots  were  removed  from  the  cellar  and  a  second 
crop  was  grown  in  the  same  manner  as  the  first. 

This  small  cellar  12  x  50  feet  yielded  something 
over  $1(50  worth  of  rhubarb  from  the  two  crops  grown 
in  one  Winter. 

The  House  Cellar. — Many  growers  having  roomy 
house  cellars  utilize  them  for  the  work,  in  addition  to 
the  regular  forcing  cellar  described  above.  To  this 
practice  no  objection  can  be  oft'ered  by  the  most  fas- 
tidious, as  very  little  artificial  moisture  is  required  and 
consequently  no  dampiiess  or  objectionable  odors  are 
given  off,  unless  the  roots  are  neglected  and  left  to 
decay  after  they,  have  ceased  bearing. 

In  this  way  the  cellar  may  be  utilized  at  a  handsome 
profit  during  the  Winter  months;  and  the  convenience 
in  caring  for,  and  harvesting  the  crop  is  no  small  item 
to  carry  to  the  profit  side  of  the  ledger. 


8  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTUBE. 

An  incident  in  point,  the  cellar  of  a  near-by  neighbor 
which  the  writer  visited,  gave  a  return  of  $144  during 
the  Winter.  The  space  occupied  was  36  x  54  feet  and 
the  only  heat  used  was  two  large  lamps. 

On  a  bleak  Winter's  day  with  the  mercury  10  or 
15  degrees  below  zero,  the  good  housewife  will  appreciate 
going  from  the  busy  kitchen  right  down  into  a  forest  of 
the  beautifully  colored  rhubarb  growing  at  her  feet, 
ready  to  pull  and  prepare  for  the  table ;  and  should  she 
tarry  a  bit  to  feast  her  eyes  on  the  novel  sight  so  rarely 
duplicated  in  IsTaturo  who  shall  chide  her,  even  though 
the  dinner  be  somewhat  late  in  consequence? 

Cellars  ivith  hard  floors.^ — Do  not  fear  to  use  cellars 
with  brick,  cement,  or  other  hard  floor.  During  forcing 
the  roots  make  little  or  no  growth  and  two  or  three 
inches  of  loose  earth  covered  over  the  floor  will  be 
sufficient. 

Growing  in  Hotbeds. — A  method  which  gives  the 
earliest  and  best  paying  crop  of  all,  is  to  set  the  roots 
in  hotbeds,  removing,  of  course,  the  old  manure  and 
soil  to  sufficient  depth  to  admit  the  full  growth  of  the 
stalks.  There  is  no  extra  expense,  as  the  hotbeds  are 
already  on  hand,  and  later  on  are  used  for  starting  the 
cabbage,  tonuito,  egg  and  other  plants.  The  boxes  are 
covered  with  two  layers  of  l)oards,  breaking  joints,  to 
avoid  as  far  as  j^ossible  the  leaching  of  snow  or  rain. 
Manure  to  the  thickness  of  a  foot  or  18  inches  is  placed 
around  tlie  boxes,  and  covered  on  to])  to  the  deptli  of 
six  inches.  Xo  heat  other  than  that  generated  by  the 
manure  is  used;  sliould  a  higher  temperature  be  requir- 
ed, fresh  manure  tliat  has  been  piled  until  heated,  is 
put  on,  and   the   forcing  is  tirus  hurried  at  will. 

December  21,  1  \isite(l  the  grounds  of  one  of  the 
pioneer  growers  of  this  section,  and  the  first,  1   think. 


THE   FORCING   PLACE.  9 

to  adopt  the  dark-growing  metliod.  lie  had  his  house 
ceUar  and  two  hirge  forcing  celhirs  filled ;  but  as  yet  used 
no  heat.  A  row  of  ten  hotbeds  were  l)eing  filled,  wliich 
were  to  be  held  in  check  until  the  last  of  February,  when 
the  manure  would  be  applied,  and  forcing  begun.  Be- 
sides this,  he  had  12  boxes  covered  in  one  unbroken 
mound,  six  of  which  were  for  immediate  use,  and  six 
to  follow  in  succession.  I  walked  over  the  mound,  and 
there  beneath  my  feet,  shut  away  from  the  light  and 
air,  and  forced  entirely  by  the  heat  of  the  manure,  the 
rhubarb  was  growing  and  ready  for  the  market.  Decem- 
ber 20,  from  three  of  these  boxes  G  x  14  feet  in  size,  he 
picked  31  dozen,  which  brought,  in  the  wholesale  house, 
75  cents  per  dozen,  or  $23.25  for  one  picking.  These 
boxes  were  of  the  linuieus  variety,  and  would  give  two 
more  pickings;  the  second  picking  was  expected  to  be 
best  of  all. 

This  grower  is  a  gardener  of  over  40  years'  experi- 
ence, and  says  that  this  is  the  best  paying  crop  he  can 
raise,  for  the  reason  that  the  greater  part  of  the  labor 
is  done  after  the  other  crops  are  secured,  and  the  sales 
come  at  a  time  when  so  little  else  can  be  grown  exce])t 
by  the  expensive  methods  of  growing  under  glass. 

Groicing  in  the  Greenhouse.' — The  space  under 
greenhouse  benches  may  be  used,  by  closely  boarding 
the  sides  and  ends  to  exclude  the  light.  This  plan 
has  been  adopted  by  greenhouse  men  to  some  extent; 
but  while  seemingly  economical  in  the  matter  of  heat 
is  open  to  some  objections.  The  expense  of  boarding 
up  in  such  a  manner  that  one  side  at  least,  is  easily 
accessible,  for  placing  in  the  roots  and  removing  the 
crop  will  be  no  small  item.  Experiments  clearly  prove 
that  the  close  warm  quarters  beneath  the  benches  will 
give  too  high  a  temperature  and  the  product  will  be 


10 


THE   NEW    RHUBARB   CULTURE. 


Grown  in  Hotbed  for  the  Christmas  Market. 


THE   FORCING   PLACE.  11 

inferior  in  color,  quality  and  yield,  to  that  grown  out  in 
the  more  open  space.  Too  close  proximity  t(5  the  pipes 
gives  too  high  a  temperature  which  is  the  chief  source 
of  the  trouble ;  and  this  can  hardly  be  remedied  without 
detriment  to  the  crops  growing  on  top  of  the  benches. 
The  strong  heat  shortens  the  bearing  season  of  the  rhu- 
barb and  will  also  leave  the  roots  much  impaired,  if 
not  wholly  unfit  for  future  use  in  propagating.  How- 
ever a  quick  growth  and  fair  yield  may  be  obtained 
and  if  no  better  place  is  at  hand  it  will  pay  to  use  such 
spaces. 

A  Cheap  Forcing  Cellar. — With  none  of  the  above 
described  places  available  a  very  cheap  and  serviceable 
cellar  may  be  made  by  excavating  for  say,  two  feet  and 
any  size  desired.  The  more  convenient  shape  for  cover- 
ing and  for  convenience  in  work  will  be  in  proportions 
of  one  to  three,  or  four.  Build  the  sides  above  ground 
with  poles,  (any  size  convenient)  to  the  required  height, 
and  for  the  pitch  of  roof  cut  the  end  poles  shorter  each 
time,  and  draw  in  the  side  poles  sufficiently  to  make  the 
lap  at  the  corners.  Shorten  the  poles  according  to  their 
size,  and  the  desired  height  of  the  building,  large  poles 
would  need  to  be  shorter  than  small  ones,  in  order  to 
avoid  unnecessary  height.  It  is  better  to  lay  up  the 
sides  and  ends  whole  and  saw  out  the  doorway  after- 
ward, use  2x6  in.  plank  for  the  door  frame  spiking 
through  into  the  end  of  each  pole.  Cover  over  with  corn 
stalks,  straw  or  other  coarse  litter,  finishing  with  earth 
to  a  depth  sufficient  to  insure  against  any  possibility 
of  freezing.  A  flue  of  sewer  crock  is  easily  constructed 
if  one  wished  to  heat  with  wood  or  coal,  but  an  oil 
or  gasoline  stove  or  large  lamp  placed  low  down  will 
do  nicely  for  heating,  if  the  cellar  is  not  too  large.    Such 


12 


THE  NEW   KHUBARB   CULTURE. 


THE   FORCING   PLACE.  13 

a  building  Avill  last  for  years  and  is  very  useful  for 
other  purposes  outside  the  forcing  season. 

Nooks  and  Corners. — The  foregoing  is,  of  course, 
descriptive  of  the  methods  of  the  wholesale  growers; 
the  following  suggestions  are  made  with  a  view  to  reach 
every  home.  As  remarked  in  the  introduction,  the  forc- 
ing of  vegetables  is  assuming  vast  proportions ;  but  with 
all  the  progress  thus  far  niade  no  vegetable,  rhubarb  ex- 
cepted, that  can  in  any  sense  take  the  place  of  fruit  has 
been  utilized.  The  work  is  so  simple  and  inexpensive 
that  any  family  possessing  a  few  rhubarb  roots  may 
now  enjoy  the  luxury  the  entire  Winter  through. 

A  little  thought  will  suggest  a  corner  in  the  cellar, 
or  lacking  this,  a  storeroom  or  attic  where  a  few  roots 
may  be  set  in  a  large  box  and  protected  from  the  light 
and  cold,  and  give  a  supply  of  this  most  wholesome  and 
delicious  vegetable. 

For  the  sole  purpose  of  demonstrating  how  easily 
and  cheaply  the  work  may  be  done,  a  small  bed  was  pre- 
pared in  the  house  cellar.  Only  ten  roots  were  used ; 
being  jjlaced  at  the  end  of  the  cellar  close  beside  a 
potato  bin. 

The  illustration  shows  the  bed  in  full  bearing,  with 
lamp  and  lantern  for  heating.  The  bed  was  shut  off 
from  the  rest  of  the  cellar  by  simply  tacking  an  old 
hemp  carpet  to  the  floor  and  sleepers  above,  letting  it 
fall  to  the  cellar  bottom.  The  wall  formed  one  side  of 
the  enclosure  and  the  carpet  was  so  nailed  to  the  floor 
above  as  to  form  the  other  side  and  ends.  The  heating 
cost  less  than  two  cents  per  day,  and  was  only  used  at  in- 
tervals. The  bed  was  for  family  use.  The  bearing 
season  was  prolonged  at  will  by  using  the  heat  only  oc- 
casionally. The  yield  was  something  over  10  dozen 
bunches,  worth  at  going  prices  about  $5.10. 


14 


THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 


THE   FORCING   PLACE.  15 

Note  on  Growing  in  Hotbeds. — The  work  of  growing 
in  hotbeds  has  one  decided  advantage  which  may  not 
appear  at  first  sight. 

In  the  instance  referred  to  under  "Growing  in  Hot- 
beds" the  roots  were  placed  in,  during  the  month  of 
November,  before  any  freezing  had  occurred.  By  this 
plan  a  crop  may  be  forced  before  it  could  by  any  pos- 
sibility be  secured  in  any  of  the  ordinary  cellars  describ- 
ed. It  will  be  observed,  however,  that  this  plan  of  forc- 
ing entirely  ignores  one  very  essential  feature  of  the 
general  method  viz.,  that  of  freezing  the  roots:  but 
while  entirely  practical  under  certain  conditions,  it  can- 
not be  applied  in  general  work  and  must  not  be  at- 
tempted. It  will  not  be  successful  in  any  ordinary  cellar 
or  in  fact  any  place  where  very  strong  heat  cannot  be 
concentrated  and  brought  low  down  to  the  roots. 

With  the  hotbed  boxes  on  hand,  and  an  abundance 
of  fresh  manure  to  generate  the  heat  and  reinforce  it 
as  necessary,  the  forcing  may  be  safely  done  and  give 
an  early  crop  and  fancy  prices  that  cannot  be  obtained 
if  necessitated  to  wait  for  the  roots  to  freeze.  But  the 
method  is  especially  valuable  in  estal)lishing  the  fact 
that  the  work  may  be  successfully  done  in  latitudes 
beyond  the  limit  where  freezing  may  be  relied  upon. 

This  plan  of  forcing  is  very  exhausting,  and  the 
roots  thus  forced  will  be  entirely  worthless  for  purj^oses 
of  propagation. 


CHAPTER  III. 

WORK"  OF   FOECING. 

Starting  the  Work. — As  ever  increasing  competition 
must  be  met  by  cheapened  production,  the  prime  object 
in  every  enterprise  must  be  to  minimize  the  labor. 

As  the  forcing  season  approaches,  with  the  cellar 
all  in  readiness,  we  should  give  attention  to  the  prep- 
aration of  tools  for  the  work.  While  but  few  are  re- 
quired they  should  be  of  the  best,  and  will  consist  of  a 
good  plow  with  well  sharpened  coulter  and  sharp  clean- 
cutting  spades  or  shovels.  The  plans  for  heating  should 
also  be  carefully  perfected.  With  these  essentials  duly 
provided  for-  we  are  now  ready  for  the  work  of  the 

Forcing  Season. — This  will  depend  on  location,  and 
weather  conditions.  Extended  experiments  have  dem- 
onstrated beyond  a  doubt  that  by  far  the  best  results  are 
obtained  by  thoroughly  freezing  the  roots.  While  this 
general  rule  is  laid  down  as  positive  and  not  to  be 
deviated  from,  there  are  exceptions  which  were  treated 
of  under  another  heading,  ^^Eorcing  in  Hotbeds.''  This 
being  the  case  it  is  better  to  leave  the  roots  in  the  ground 
until  there  is  prospect  of  sufficient  cold  weather  to 
freeze  the  roots  clear  through.  They  will  however  take 
no  injury  if  left  exposed  to  any  sort  of  weather  for  a 
reasonable  time.  In  loose  sandy  soil  which  does  not 
readily  adhere,  but  crumbles  off  leaving  the  roots  bare, 
it  is  better  to  turn  them  out  when  the  ground  is  thor- 
oughly soaked,  or  just  before  a  hard  freeze. 

Tivo  Crops  in  One  Season. — With  a  plentiful  supply 
of  roots  and  inadequate  room  for  forcing,  two  crops  may 


WORK  OF  FORcma.  17 

be  grown  in  succession.  In  this  case  as  soon  as  the  first 
roots  cease  bearing  they  should  be  removed  from  the 
ceHar  and  protected  from  severe  freezing  and  thawing; 
this  can  best  be  done  by  piling  them  in  a  shed,  or  giving 
them  a  light  covering  of  straw  or  coarse  litter.  In  the 
Spring  they  may  be  used  for  propagating  which  will 
be  treated  of  in  another  chapter.  The  roots  for  second 
crop  may  then  be  placed  in  the  cellar  and  forcing  con- 
tinued. 

Preparing  the  Roots. — In  extensive  operations  it  is 
economy  to  turn  the  roots  out  with  the  plow. 

The  illustration  "Plowing  Out  Ehubarb  Eoots/'  was 
taken  on  the  grounds  of  an  extensive  grower  and  shows 
the  work  of  preparing  the  roots  for  the  cellar,  in  actual 
operation. 

With  a  spade,  a  line  or  mark  is  made  along  the  row, 
but  four  to  six  inches  distant  from  it,  as  a  guide  to  the 
plow.  Set  the  plow  as  deeply  as  possible,  turning  the 
furrow  away  from  the  row;  a  second  furrow  is  plowed 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  row  same  distance  from  it 
as  before,  turning  the  roots  over  into  the  first  furrow 
plowed.  If  the  coulter  is  sharp  and  clean-cutting  as  it 
should  be,  this  will  cut  off  all  the  lateral  prongs  on  two 
sides.  Now  with  the  spade  turn  the  roots  out  so 
they  shall  not  be  buried  in  the  loose  soil  of  the  furrow, 
trim  off  remaining  prongs  on  the  other  sides,  and  leave 
them  imtil  ready  to  put  into  the  cellar.  In  very  dry  or 
loose  sandy  soil  the  earth  is  liable  to  nearly  all  fall  off  the 
roots  when  turning  them  out;  in  this  case  simply  turn 
the  furrows  away  from  both  sides  of  the  row  of  roots  and 
leave  the  turning  out  and  trimming  up  until  the  clumps 
are  frozen.  They  can  then  be  trimmed  up  and  properly 
shaped  with  the  loss  of  but  very  little  soil. 

The    illustration    "Rhubarb    Eoots    Eeady    for    the 


18 


THE   NEAV   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 


WORK  OF  FORCING.  19 

Cellar'^  shows  the  roots  turned  out  of  the  furrow  upon 
the  snow-covered  ground,  and  trimmed  ready  for  forc- 
ing. 

In  small  areas,  or  where  from  any  cause  plowing  out 
would  be  impracticable  the  entire  work  may  be  neatly 
and  rapidly  done  with  the  spade. 

Setting  the  Plants. — For  the  work  of  setting  in  the 
roots,  select  if  possible,  a  time  when  they  are  frozen 
solid,  as  they  will  be  cleaner  to  handle  and  may  be  rolled 
or  tumbled  about  like  rocks  without  fear  of  injury. 
This  is  not  material  however,  but  greatly  simplifies 
the  work.* 

Cellars  will  of  course,  vary  much  in  size  and  shape ; 
and  setting  in  the  clumps  should  be  planned  with  regard 
to  the  utmost  convenience  in  caring  for,  and  harvesting 
the  crop.  If  the  cellar  is  long  and  narrow,  one  passage- 
way through  the  center,  extending  the  entire  length  of 
the  building  will  be  sufficient,  while  a  large  square  room 
might  require  two  or  more  parallel  passageways,  or  one 
extending  through  i^iie  center  the  longest  way,  with 
lateral  paths  on  either  side  placed  at  convenient  dis- 
tances for  picking,  in  order  to  avoid  trampling  on  the 
young  stalks.  Remembering  that  each  clump  will  occupy 
about  a  square  foot  of  space  and  that  they  are  set  as 
closely  together  as.  possible,  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  so 
plan  the  position  of  passageways  as  to  secure  the  desired 
results. 

As  the  plants  are  set  in  position,  loose  earth  should 
be  at  hand  for  filling  underneath  and  between  the 
clumps ;  enough  may  be  used  to  entirely  cover  the  crowns 
of  the  roots,  or  they  may  be  left  exposed  and  only  the 

•Note.— Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  supposing  that  the  roots  miist  be 
in  a  frozen  condition  when  placed  in  the  cellar,  that  is  immaterial,  pro- 
vided the  freezing  has  actually  taken  place  previously.  It  is  simply  a 
matter  of  convenience  and  economy  to  handle  the  roots  in  a  frozen  con- 
dition. 


20  THE   NEW  RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

crevices  between  the  prongs  of  the  roots  and  spaces 
between  clumps  filled  in.  If  the  cellar  bottom  is  of  loose 
earth,  that -may  be  used  for  the  purpose,  but  if  cement  or 
other  hard  floors  are  used,  then  the  soil  will  have  to  be 
carried  in. 

With  the  setting  completed,  the  labor  is  practically 
^ver,  and  very  little  care  is  necessary  to  mature  the 
crop. 

Handling  the  Roots. — A  very  pleasing  feature  of  the 
work  is  in  the  fact  that  with  the  freezing  part  well  over, 
the  crop  may  be  matured  almost  at  will.  The  forcing 
may  begin  at  once  or  the  roots  may  be  held  in  a  dormant 
state  for  weeks,  which  matter  will  of  course  be  governed 
entirely  by  the  temperature.  If,  as  previously  men- 
tioned, two  crops  are  grown  in  the  same  cellar,  the  forc- 
ing should  begin  as  early  as  possible.  The  roots  for  the 
second  crop  may  be  left  in  the  ground  until  required  for 
use.  However,  in  latitudes  where  long  continued  and 
severe  freezing. is  the  rule,  the  safe  plan  is  to  dig  all  the 
roots  at  one  time,  piling  those  required  for  the  second 
crop  in  a  shed,  or  otherwise  slightly  protecting  them. 
In  localities  less  rigorous,  where  the  open  state  of  the 
ground  would  most  likely  admit  of  digging  in  mid- 
winter the  roots  for  second  crop  may  be  left  in  the  field 
until  wanted. 

Whether  one,  or  two  crops  are  grown,  one  fact  should 
l)e  borne  in  mind  if  one  desires  to  utilize  the  forced  roots 
for  propagating,  the  forcing  process  is  very  exhausting  to 
the  roots  and  should  be  discontinued  as  soon  as  lack  of 
vigor  in  the  growth  of  the  stalks  is  noticeable ;  the 
growth  can  be  stopped  only  by  removal  from  the  cellar  or 
lowering  the  temperature  to  say  30  or  35  degrees. 
Rhubarb  is  of  the  get-there  nature,  and  will  grow 
itself  to  death  if  allowed,  especially  in  the  cellar;  as  a 


WORK   OF   FORCING.  21 

plentiful  supply  of  the  roots  is  the  principal  factor  in 
extensive  growing,  it  pavs  to  husband  them  very  care- 
fully. 

Age  of  Roots  for  Forcing. —  For  profitable  results, 
roots  must  be  thrifty  and  strong  (the  larger  the  better), 
and  not  less  than  two  or  three  years  old. 

Propagated  roots,  if  well  grown  will  be  at  their  best 
from  two  to  five  years  old ;  ^\diile  those  grown  from  seed 
need  an  additional  year's  growth.  For  reasons  else- 
where mentioned  too  old  roots  are  undesirable  but  of 
course  may  be  used  if  no  better  can  be  obtained. 

With  large  growers  the  root  supply  especially  for 
the  second  season's  work  often  becomes  a  serious  prob- 
lem ;  after  that  if  rightly  managed  the  trouble  will  be 
avoided. 

It  is  not  wise  to  force  all  the  roots  in  sight  the  first 
year,  lest  the  second  year's  work  becomes  a  minus 
quantity. 

To  those  engaging  in  the  work,  we  say,  plan  for  the 
future.  Husband  carefully  and  feed  generously  what- 
ever roots  you  may  have,  look  about  among  your  neigh- 
bors and  procure  of  them  as  many  as  they  may  be  able 
to  spare.  The  ^^Tug  of  War"  is  for  the  first  and  second 
year's  supply,  but  with  reasonable  forethought  the  prob- 
lem will  work  out  in  the  years  following. 

Best  Varieties. — Early  Strawberry,  Linnaeus  and 
Victoria  are  standard  varieties,  and  will,  I  think,  succeed 
wherever  rhubarb  will  grow.  The  Victoria  is  considered 
best  for  forcing,  but  has  the  peculiarity  of  maturing 
its  crop  all  at  once.  Whether  this  feature  is  advan- 
tageous or  otherwise  will  depend  on  circumstances,  and 
must  be  determined  by  the  grower.  It  is  however  a 
great  yielder  and  much  sought  after  in  the  market.  All 
varieties  are  good  and  succeed  well  under  both  open  and 


22  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

forced  culture.  Early  Strawberry  and  Linnaeus  are 
earlier  than  Victoria,  which  is  an  advantage,  and  pro- 
long their  season  of  bearing,  a  very  desirable  considera- 
tion if  one  is  growling  for  home  use  only.  The  "Mam- 
moth'^ while  attaining  great  size,  and  second  to  no  other 
known  variety  in  flavor  is  green  in  color,  and  for  that 
reason  is  undesirable  for  market  purposes. 


CHAPTEE  lY. 

HOW   TO    SUCCEED. 

It  is  aJwa\s  well  to  remember  that  the  small  or 
medium  crop  is  seldom  or  never  the  paying  one.  Grow- 
ing two  blades  of  grass  where  one  has  formerly  grown 
must  henceforth  be  the  aim  of  the  successful  tiller 
of  the  soil.  The  up-to-date  man  courts  neither  failure 
nor  even  partial  success,  but  success  in  its  highest  sense. 
To  attain  this  goal  careful  attention  to  details  is  the  only 
highway.  A  word  of  caution  seems  necessary  here. 
While  tlie  work  is  exceedingly  simple,  study  carefully 
the  methods  and  keep  well  wdthin  the  lines  laid  down. 
They  have  brought  success,  and  experiments  even  though 
seemingly  trifling,  may  prove  costly. 

Since  introducing  this  method  somewhat  to  the  pub- 
lic, many  reports  of  success  have  been  returned  to  me. 
Failures  too,  and  with  the  assurance  that  every  detail 
had  been  carefully  followed.  Careful  inquiry  in  every 
case  however  revealed  some  vital  point  overlooked  or 
neglected  (as  failure  to  apply  heat  or  some  other  equally 
glaring  omission).  When  these  wx're  rectified,  success 
was  at  once  assured.  The  mainspring  of  success  is 
conditions  just  right.  Be  satisfied  with  nothing  less. 
One  essential  point  wliich  involves  not  only  the  safety 
but  success  of  the  crop  is  the  arrangements  for, 

Heating. — Kot  only  ample,  but  economical  heat 
evenly  distributed  must  be  provided,  "and  the  expense  of 
heating  even  in  large  cellars  is  comparatively  small,  if 
ordinary  care  is  exercised  in  its  application.  Place  your 
stoves  and  ]n])o,  or  whatever  apparatus  is  used,  low 
down.     There  will  be  no  trouble  in  the  heat  ascending; 


24  THE  NEW  BHUBAEB   CULTURE. 

but  the  plants/  and  not  the  roof  or  rafters,  are  what  re- 
quire the  heat.    Phin  then  to  apply  the  heat  low  down. 

Heating  Apparatus. — In  Chapter  I.,  the  illustration 
showing  a  cellar  with  heat  just  started,  shows  plainly 
the  method  used  there.  In  large  cellars,  two  stoves 
placed  at  given  distances  from  either  end  will  give 
better  results.  In  the  house  cellar  36  x  5-1  feet  in  size, 
described  in  the  same  chapter,  no  other  heat  than  two 
large  kerosene  lamps  was  used.  In  my  own  house  cellar 
20  X  28  feet,  I  have  been  entirely  successful  with  a  two 
burner  gasoline  stove.  Over  one  burner  was  pkced  an 
adjustable  oven,  to  somewhat  assist  in  radiation;  and 
over  the  other  burner  a  kettle  of  water.  This  arrange- 
ment answered  to  conserve  both  heat  and  moisture  so 
that  in  a  period  of  nearly  three  months,  the  plants  were 
watered  but  once.  It  will  often  occur  that  a  cellar  other- 
wise nicely  adapted  for  the  work  is  not  provided  with  a 
flue  or  smoke  escape.  In  that  case,  use  oil  or  gasoline 
stoves  or  large  oil  lamps. 

In  this  connection  let  me  mention  still  another  fact, 
which  will  be  of  service.  If,  in  preparing  the  cellar, 
due  caution  is  observed  to  provide  absolutely  against 
frost,  the  cost  of  heating  will  amount  to  almost  nothing. 
In  building  cellars  then,  expressly  for  the  purpose,  cover 
the  sides  a1)0ve  ground  and  the  roof  with  manure,  straw 
and  earth  or  anything  else  at  hand  so  that  the  tempera- 
ture inside  shall  not  vary  with  the  changes  of  weather, 
and  your  heating  problem  is  practically  solved.  House 
cellars  may  be  thoroughly  l^anked,  and  root  cellars  al- 
ready built  may  be  recovered,  and  so  managed  as  to  gain 
the  desired  results. 

As  to  Temperature. — This  matter  may  be  entirely 
governed  by  circumstances.  Ehubarb  so  adjusts  itself  to 
circumstances  that  changes  of  30  to  50  degrees  will  not 


HOAV   TO  SUCCEED.  25 

injure  it.  Should  your  fires  go  entirely  out  in  the  cold- 
est of  weather  no  harm  will  be  done  provided  the  frost 
does  not  get  in.  The  temperature  may  vary  from  45 
degrees  to  80  or  90  degrees  according  to  circumstances. 
The  lower  temperatures  will  of  course,  give  a  slower 
growth;  with  a  darker  color  and  perhaps  a  somewhat 
heavier  yield.  The  higher  temperature  will  in  propor- 
tion give  quicker  returns  and  a  lighter  color.  The  ques- 
tion of  yield  under  higher  or  lower  temperature  is  as 
yet  an  open  one,  and  not  important  as  the  variations 
would  be  but  slight  under  any  circumstances. 

This  range  of  temperature  is  perfectly  safe,  and 
broad  enough  that  the  crop  can  almost  be  held  at  will  or 
hastened  through  for  quick  returns,  as  is  desired. 

Ventilation. — Fortunately  the  subject  of  ventilation 
requires  little  or  no  attention.  But  the  fact  must  be 
emphasized  to  avoid  trouble  and  worry.  The  truth  is, 
that  rhubarb  forced  in  hotbeds  banked  in  and  covered 
over  with  boards  and  manure  will  thrive  and  grow  at  a 
surprising  rate.  In  the  cellars  the  change  of  air  occa- 
sioned by  going  out  and  in  for  attention  to  the  crop  is 
entirely  sufficient. 

Light. — Daylight,  even  in  small  amounts,  must  be 
excluded.  Admitting  it  while  going  out  and  in  for  at- 
tention to  the  crop  will  do  no  harm.  The  growing 
stalks  will  turn  eagerly  toward  even  a  small  ray  of  light, 
and  if  it  is  steadily  admitted,  will  cause  the  stalks  to  dis- 
color and  grow  crooked,  and  wherever  the  light  rests 
steadily  the  leaves  will  begin  to  grow,  which  by  all  means 
must  be  avoided.  Artificial  light  unless  too  bright  and 
long  continued  is  not  injurious.  The  blue  light  as  from 
a  gasoline  stove  does  no  harm ;  but  in  forcing  even  with 
kerosene  lamps,  I  have  demonstrated  that  the  stalks  in 
too  close  proximity  to  the  lamps  will  be  off  in  color,  and 


26  THE   XEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

tlie  loaves  will  open  out  to  some  extent  and  begin  to 
grow  green.  Smoking  the  chimneys  to  subdue  the  light 
will  entirely  obviate  the  difficulty,  and  for  small  or  even 
quite  large  cellars  they  are  entirely  practical. 

Moisture. — The  question  of  moisture  will  depend 
largely  on  the  condition  of  the  roots  when  placed  in  the 
cellar.  If  the  clumps  are  well  loaded  with  wet  or  moist 
soil  when  planted  in,  they  will  go  through  nicely  with 
very  little  additional  moisture.  When  the  soil  surround- 
ing the  roots  is  dry  at  the  time  of  setting,  water  should 
be  freely  used  when  first  starting  the  heat.  A  kettle  of 
water  kept  on  the  stove  is  often  all  that  is  necessary 
to  carry  a  crop  entirely  through.  Ordinarily  the  use  of 
water  (preferably  tepid),  to  some  extent  is  advisable; 
but  many  fine  crops  are  matured  without  additional 
moisture  except  the  use  of  a  kettle  as  above  mentioned. 
The  whole  matter,  however,  is  easily  determined  by  ordi- 
nary judgment.  If  needed,  apply  at  any  time  except  just 
previous  to  picking,  as  watering  then  would  make  bad 
work  in  gathering  tlie  crop. 

Fertilizing. — The  work ,  of  fertilizing  is  far  more 
easily  done  in  the  field;  but  in  case  roots  are  used  that 
have  not  been  well  cared  for,  then  good  results  are  ob- 
tained by  applying  a  fertilizer  in  the  cellar. 

The  writer  has  had  good  results  with  ^^air-slacked" 
lime  applied  to  the  clumps  before  growth  began,  at  the 
rate  of  a  small  tablespoonful  to  each  plant.  Also  nitrate 
of  soda  and  water  in  the  proportion  of  an  ounce  to  the 
gallon,  sprinkled  on,  brings  good  results.  Liquid  cow 
manure  will  also  well  repay  the  cost  of  application.  Ex- 
tensive growers  have  reported  very  gratifying  results  by 
mixing  cow  and  horse  manure  to  the  consistency  of 
batter  and  pouring  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  plants 
as  soon  as  set.     No  doubt  this  will  send  the  crop;  but 


HOW   TO   SUCCEED.  2i 

Avoukl,  1  think,  be  objectionable  in  the  liouse  celUir.  It 
is  recommended  however,  for  growers  to  try  the  various 
suggestions,  and  results  will  determine  the  most  advan- 
tageous method  to  pursue. 

Thintiing  Out. — It  sometime  occurs  that  numerous 
small  stalks  spring  up  that  will  never  grow  to  any  size. 
This  may  come  from  low  vitality  of  the  roots.  In  this 
case,  thin  out  useless  stalks  and  apply  liquid  cow  manure 
liberally.  It  is  more  often  occasioned  by  insufficient,  or 
poorly  distributed  heat.  Cases  of  this  kind  have  been 
called  to  my  attention  where  hundreds  of  stalks  not 
larger  than  a  small  lead  pencil  were  springing  up,  and 
very  few  if  any  large  stalks.  Every  detail  of  the  work 
had  been  carefully  attended  to  except  the  matter  of  heat, 
that  had  not  been  applied.  The  difficulty  was  that  the 
cellar  was  naturally  a  little  too  warm  for  the  roots  to 
lie  dormant,  but  was  not  warm  enough  to  give  any  im- 
petus to  the  growth.  Directions  were  given  to  turn  on 
heat,  and  in  three  weeks  a  nice  picking  was  ready  for 
the  market.  The  small  stalks  should  be  thinned  wher- 
ever they  appear  as  before  stated. 

Precautionary  Measures. — To  guard  against  insects 
which  more  or  less  congregate  in  such  places,  and  if  not 
injurious  to  the  rhubarb  nevertheless  become  a  nuisance, 
the  cellars  should  be  renovated  both  before  and  after  the 
forcing  season.  Fumigate  with  sulphur,  keeping  the 
cellar  tightly  closed  for  at  least  twelve  hours,  after  which 
whitewash  walls  and  ceiling  with  common  whitewash, 
adding  sulphate  of  copper  (blue  vit]:iol  or  blue  stone) 
in  the  proportion  of  one  ounce  to  the  gallon,  or  with 
crude  carbolic  acid  in  same  proportion.  If  the  walls  are 
too  roughly  constructed  to  admit  of  whitewashing,  spray 
with  Bordeaux  mixture  full  strength,  omitting  the 
arsenites,  but  adding  the  carbolic  acid  in  same  prqpor- 
tions  as  above. 


28 


THE   NEW    RHUBARB    CULTURE. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HANDLING   THE   CROP. 

Time  of  Maturing. — This  of  course  will  depend  on 
the  temperature  maintained,  also  on  the  variety.  The 
Victoria  will  require  more  time  than  the  earlier  sorts 
previously  mentioned.  From  tliree  to  eight  weeks  will 
be  required  to  mature  the  tirst  picking,  and  the  season 
will  continue  from  three  to  four  weeks  or  even  longer; 
depending  on  the  vigor  of  the  roots  and  also  the  degree 
of  heat  used. 

Usually  12  to  14  inches  high  is  good  height  for 
picking;  hut  even  less  height  is  often  admissible  ow- 
ing to  size  and  development.  Where  the  product  is 
sold  by  the  pound  regardless  of  height  or  size  there  is 
no  objection  to  letting  it  remain  until  fully  grown,  un- 
less a  declining  market  should  necessitate  haste  in  gath- 
ering. Here  at  Detroit  essentially  the  birthplace  and 
home  of  the  industry,  all  transactions  are  reckoned  by 
the  dozen.  When  thus  sold,  self  interest  at  least,  would 
dictate  selling  as  rapidly  as  reasonable  height  was  at- 
tained, and  thus  husband  the  vitality  of  the  roots  for 
the  remainder  of  the  crop.  However  it  must  not  be  left 
too  long  under  any  circumstances,  as  the  stalks  grow 
spongy  after  a  time,  and  falling  down,  become  worthless. 
Experience  will  soon  enable  any  one  to  properly  judge 
of  these  matters. 

Gathering  the  Crop. — This  may  seem  a  trivial  point; 


30  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

but  unless  carefallv  doue  will  result  in  much  waste  of 
stalks  already  fit  for  the  market,  and  damage  to  the 
young  and  tender  shoots  as  well.  The  clumps  themselves 
are  liable  also  to  injury  from  careless  pulling  or  Jerking. 
The  stalks  are  exceedingly  tender  and  brittle,  and  the 
attempt  to  pull  them  off  will  result  in  breaking  them 
off  at  half  length,  or  just  above  the- ground,  which  spoils 
the  looks  of,  and  shortens  the  stalks  ])y  whatever  length 
remains  on  the  clumps  or  crowns. 

With  the  right  hand  carefully  grasp  the  stalk  well 
down  to  the  ground,  allowing  the  index  finger  to  lie 
flat  against  the  inner  side  of  the  stalk.  Push  the  finger 
downward  between  the  stalk  and  clump  to  where  they 
unite,  then  pry  and  pull  in  the  same  motion,  and  the 
stalk  will  come  off  two  or  three  inches  below  the  surface 
of  the  ground. 

Tying  Up. — The  illustration  ^'Preparing  for  Mar- 
ket,'^ shows  the  work  in  operation,  which  may  be  done 
by  the  children  after  a  little  showing.  The  work  here 
shown  is  with  the  out  door  grown ;  w^hen  after  the  bundle 
is  tied  the  leaves  are  nearly  all  removed  with  the  knife. 
The  method  for  the  dark  forced  is  the  same  except,  what 
little  leaf  there  is,  should  be  left  on,  with  "its  beautiful 
lemon  color  adding  much  to  the  appearance  of  the  bunch. 
Gather  up  the  stalks  and  remove  to  a  convenient  place 
for  the  work.  Eemove  the  hulls  as  shown  in  illustration, 
and  if  intended  for  local  trade  wash  off  the  adhering 
soil  or  filth.  If  for  shipping  do  not  wash,  as  the  water 
remaining  on  the  stalk  will  be  injurious;  but  use  a 
brush  or  small  broom  instead.  In  bunching,  average  up 
the  stalks  as  much  as  possible  putting  large  and  small 
together.  The  stalks  are  tied  around  the  butts  with 
ordinary  bunching  twine,  three  in  a  bunch,  or  sometimes 
four,  if  too  small.    Twelve  bunches  are  put  into  a  bundle 


HANDLING   THE   CROP. 


31 


82  THE   NEW   RHUBAEB   CULTURE. 

and  tied  around  Ijoth  l)iitts  and  tops.  These  bunches 
are  called  dozens  but  really  contain  3G  stalks.  The 
bundles  are  put  up  in  this  way  solely  for  convenience 
in  the  retail  trade,  the  grocers  opening  up  tlie  bundles 
and  selling  out  hy  the  bunch. 

Different  markets,  of  course,  will  require  different 
packages;  and  the  growers  must  be  governed  by  the  de- 
mands of  their  respecti^'e  markets.  In  putting  up  for 
the  market,  imagine  yourself  the  buyer  and  put  up  only 
such  as  you  would  be  willing  to  buy  and  pay  for.  Let 
your  trade  mark  be  your  customer's  guarantee  for  honest 
goods,  and  the  market  will  always  seek  you. 

Marketing. — Many  growers  depend  Entirely  on  the 
local  markets,  supplying  hotels,  restaurants,  retail 
grocers  and  private  families.  Others  dispose  of  the 
crop  through  the  commission  merchants,  while  still 
others  ship  direct  to  dealers  in  distant  cities. 

For  shipping,  the  bundles  are  wrapped  in  paper  and 
boxed,  the  boxes  holding  from  four  bunches  upward, 
according  to  size  of  orders. 

As  the  rhubarb  would  be  entirely  ruined  if  frozen 
during  shipment,  it  is  usually  shipped  by  express,  and 
although  rates  are  ruinously  high,  the  product  finds  its 
way  to  nearly  all  the  principal  cities  of  the  United 
States. 


CHAPTER  \1. 

FERTILIZERS. 

Light  or  Thin  Soils. — As  elsewhere  referred  to,  light 
sandy  or  gravelly  soils  require  sjoecial  treatment,  or  if 
naturally  lacking  in  essential  elements  they  must  be  sup- 
l^lied. 

To  supply  them  in  abundance  and  in  the  cheapest 
possible  manner,  should  be  the  study  of  every  intelligent 
tiller  of  the  soil. 

In  the  soils  above  mentioned  one  property  very  liable 
to  be  conspicuous  on  account  of  its  absence  is 

Humus. — As  ordinarily  understood  this  is  simply  de- 
cayed vegetable  matter,  and  while  indispensable  to  the 
best  results  for  all  crops,  is  especially  so  for  rhubarb. 
Clover,  (red  or  crimson)  cow-peas  and  like  crops,  ac- 
cording to  localities  where  each,  or  any  of  them  succeed, 
will  furnish  this  element  in  abundance.  But  the  nature 
of  these  crops  implies  the  necessity  of  preparation  and 
rotation  previous  to  growing  the  rhubarb  crop. 

Successful  crops  in  any  soil  will  necessitate  these,  or 
kindred  helps ;  but  more  especially  in  the  lighter  soils. 

Barn-yard  Manure. — Doubtless  the  best  all  round 
fertilizer  for  all  soils  and  conditions  is  the  ever  ready- 
for-business  barn-yard  manure.  It  also  has  the  advan- 
tage that  it  may  be  applied  for  plowing  under  when 
fitting  the  ground  for  the  immediate  crop,  or  afterward 
as  a  top  dressing.  But  whatever  the  base  for  the  humus, 
or  however  applied,  let  it  be  without  stint.  If  possible, 
I  would  write  the  legend,  "Feed  Me,''  on  every  fence 
corner  surroundins;  the  rhubarb  field. 


34  THE  NEW  RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

Binders. — A  serious  lack  in  all  the  lighter  soils  is  ad- 
hesion; a  something,  so  to  sj^eak,  which  will  bind  and 
hold  together  the  particles  of  soil,  rendering  them,  as 
a  whole,  less  sensitive  to  the  action  of  heat  and  drought. 

The  agencies  best  adapted  to  this  work,  some  of 
which,  at  least,  if  not  all,  are  within  the  reach  of  every 
one,  are  air-slacked  lime,  wood  ashes,  either  leached  or 
unleached,  swamp  muck  and  marl.  These  applied  in 
large  amounts,  preferably  as  a  top  dressing  to  be  worked 
into  the  soil  will  many  times. repay  the  cost  and  labor 
of  applying.  Any  and  all  are  valuable,  and  are  of  course 
more  easily  and  economically  applied  before  the  plants 
are  set  out.  Old  fields  will  also  be  much  renovated  and 
improved,  by  some  of  the  above  applications ;  lime  espe- 
cially. 

Acidity  of  Soil. — This  subject  is  so  generally  over- 
looked by  farmers  and  gardeners  that  the  opportunity  of 
drilling  in  a  little  deeper  and  driving  it  home  a  little 
harder,  should  not  be  lost. 

By  careful  experiments  and  observation,  I  am  led  to 
believe  that  many  soils  otherwise  fertile  and  valuable,  are 
losing  half  their  usefulness  from  no  other  cause  than 
their  acidity;  and  when  so  easily  remedied  the  wonder 
is,  that  they  are  so  sorely  neglected.  The  trouble  is 
prevalent  in  almost  every  variety  and  condition  of  soil, 
and  its  detection  is  so  simple  that  we  give  it  in  l)rief 
as  also,  the  remedy.  Procure  from  any  druggist  a  piece 
of  blue  litmus  paper,  taking  care  that  it  never  comes  in 
contact  with  water  or  becomes  damp  previous  to  using. 
Thoroughly  moisten  some  of  the  soil  to  be  tested  and 
with  a  knife  or  other  thin  blade  make  an  iiieision.  In- 
sert the  paper  closing  back  the  soil  against  it,  and  leave 
for  a  few  minutes,  after  whieli  witlulraw  it  and  rinse  in 
clear  water.     The  eoiKlition  of  the  soil  either  acid  or 


FERTILIZERS. 


35 


m:- 


36  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

otherwise  will  be  determined  by  the  paper.  If  highly 
discolored  and  of  a  dark  purple  hue,  rest  assured  that 
the  soil  requires  lime  and  plenty  of  it.  Less  discolora- 
tion will  indicate  less  acidity,  and  consequently  less  lime. 
From  five  hundred  to  two  thousand  pounds  of  air-slacked 
lime  per  acre  applied  to  the  surface  of,  and  thoroughly 
worked  into  the  soil  will  remedy  the  trouble,  and  in 
many  cases  double  the  crop.  The  lime  while  not  of  it- 
self essentially  a  fertilizer  unlocks  the  plant  food  in  the 
soil  and  places  it  in  condition  to  be  assimilated  by  the 
plant.  Wood  ashes  either  leached  or  unleached  will 
also  remedy  the  difficulty,  though  not  as  quickly  or 
thoroughly  as  will  the  lime.  The  action  of  some  other 
fertilizers  is  also  greatly  increased  by  the  previous  use 
of  the  lime,  and  notably 

Nitrate  of  Soda. — By  courtesy  of  Dr.  John  A.  Myers 
of  New  York,  under  whose  supervision  extensive  ex- 
23eriments  with  Xitrate  of  Soda  have  been  made,  we  in- 
sert an  illustration  showing  its  effects  upon  rhubarb. 

Following  are  the  remarks  of  Mr.  R.  M.  Winans,  who 
made  the  fertilizer  experiments. 

"The  succulent,  watery  stalks  of  the  Ehubarb,  or 
Pie  Plant,  are  most  highly  developed  by  large  supplies  of 
nitrogenous  manures.  Heavy  applications  of  Xitrate  of 
Soda  early  in  the  spring,  before  nitrification  begins  in 
the  soil  and  at  the  time  that  the  Ehubarb  most  needs 
a  supply  of  nitrogen,  will  give  the  grower  a  very  large 
return  for  the  money  invested. 

"There  being  no  established  field  of  Ehubarb  at 
hand,  our  experiment  Avas  necessarily  confined  to  plants 
or  crowns  set  this  spring.  At  the  time  of  setting,  an  ap- 
plication of  Xitrate  of  Soda,  at  the  rate  qf  150  pounds 
per  acre,  was  given  to  the  crowns.  Later,  when  growtli 
began,  two  applications  were  made,  first,  at  the  rate  of 


FERTILIZERS.  37 

200  pounds,  and,  second,  at  300  pounds  per  acre.  The 
soda  was  scattered  about  the  plants  by  hand  and  hoed 
into  the  soil  close  to  the  roots.  They  thus  received  a 
total  application  of  650  pounds  per  acre  in  three  applica- 
tions. 

"With  old  established  bearing  plants  larger  quanti- 
ties should  be  applied  at  the  first  opening  of  Spring. 

"The  result  of  this  experiment  is  best  shown  by  the 
accompanying  pliotograph  of  one  treated  and  one  un- 
treated plant  standing  side  by  side." 

Xitrogen  is  what  the  crop  is  hungry  for  in  the  early 
Spring:  and  generally  speaking  there  is  perhaps,  noth- 
ing that  will  so  nearly  meet  the  requirements  as  the 
application  of  nitrate  of  soda. 

It  is  a  well  established  fact  that  however  much  barn- 
yard manure  may  have  been  applied,  the  process  of 
nitrification  takes  place  very  slowly,  until  the  ground  is 
thoroughly  warmed  by  the  action  of  the  sun's  rays. 

In  growing  the  out  door  product  for  market,  the 
early  crop  is  always  the  paying  one  and  the  more  quickly 
it  can  be  grown  the  better  will  be  the  quality  and  the 
less  the  competition  from  the  small  fruits  that  follow  its 
season  so  closely. 

Jadoo  Fibre. — Too  much  emphasis  cannot  well  be 
laid  on  the  promotion  of  root  growth.  Vitally  impor- 
tant to  the  successful  culture  of  all  plant  and  vegetable 
life,  it  becomes  doubly  so  to  rhubarb.  The  forcing 
process  is  at  best  very  exhausting,  and  the  roots  came 
out  of  the  cellar  with  vitality  much  impaired.  Neces- 
sarily then,  they  require  special  feeding  and  care  to 
overcome  the  strain  and  recover  vigor  and  size  for  future 
bearing  as  quickly  as  possible. 

The  same  general  principle  api)lies  equally  to  propa- 
gating from  unforced  roots  and  also  growing  from  the 


38  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

seed.  In  a  comparatively  wide  range  of  experiments 
with  special  fertilizers  I  have  found  nothing  else  so 
fully  meeting  the  requirements  of  a  healthy  well- 
developed  growth  as  "Jadoo." 

How  to  Use. — Before  using,  the  fibre  should  ])e  fined 
by  working  through  a  sieve  with  mesh  not  exceeding  an 
inch.  When  transplanting  place  a  handful  of  the  fibre 
underneath  and  around  the  roots,  covering  with  soil 
and  firming  afterward. 

In  sowing  the  seed,  open  the  drill  sufficiently  to 
sprinkle-  the  fil)re  along  the  l)ott()m.  Sow  on  the  seed, 
covering  all  with  soil. 

In  transplanting,  use  the  fibre  each  time  the  plants 
are  reset,  the  same  as  with  propagated  roots.' 

Unfortunately  no  illustration  is  at  hand  from  which 
a  comparison  of  treated  and  untreated  plants  may  be 
drawn.  '  The  simple  test  however,  is  within  reach  of 
every  grower  by  following  directions  given  above,  and 
in  "proving  all  things  holding  fast  to  that  which  is 
good"  the  highest  objects  in  life  are  attained. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

CULTURE. 

Soil. — As  the  cultivation  is  the  same  for  all  methods 
of  growing,  no  distinctions  will  be  made.  The  ideal 
home  or  soil  for  rhnbarb  is  a  heavy  sandy  or  clay  loam, 
naturally  cool  and  moist,  yet  having  good  drainage. 
As  all  do  not  possess  these  natural  advantages  it  remains 
for  each  one  to  "make  circumstances"  and  so  prepare 
the  soil  whatever  kind  it  may  be  that  the  highest  pos- 
sible results  may  be  realized. 

Preparation. — Heavy  soils  should  be  worked  deeply, 
subsoiling  in  clay  if  possible.  Light  sandy  or  gravelly 
soil,  less  deeply,  ■  leaving  the  foundation  more  firm  to 
better  hold  the  moisture.  In  any  case,  fertilize  without 
stint.  Rhubarb  is  a  gross  feeder  and  there  is  little 
danger  of  over  feeding.  The  lighter  soils  at  least,  will 
be  much  benefited  b}"  liberal  applications  of  swamp 
muck,  lime  and  ashes  either  leached  or  unleached,  all 
tending  to  hold  or  bind  the  soil  together,  thus  minimiz- 
ing the  tendency  to  burn  or  dry  out.  It  will  be  useless 
to  hope  for,  or  expect  success  in  its  highest  sense  at 
least,  on  ground  only  moderately  fertilized  or  half  tilled. 

Propagation. — To  those  engaging  in  the  work,  either 
for  the  out  door  growing  of  the  Summer  crop  or  for 
Winter  forcing,  the  effort  should  be  to  get  a  stock  of 
thrifty,  vigorous  roots  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 
This  result  will  be  gained  by  propagation  provided  a 
stock  of  old  roots  are  at  hand  from  which  to  propagate. 

The  work  should  be  done  with  a  sharp  spade  or  long 
heavy  l)laded  knife.  The  clumps  owing  to  size,  are 
divided  into  two,  three  or  more  sections,  taking  care 


40  THE   NEW   EHUBAKB   CULTURE. 

not  to  disturb  the  crowns  or  eyes,  and  making  sure  that 
each  section  has  one  or  more  eyes.  Trim  up  nicely,  care- 
fully removing  all  broken  or  mangled  portions  of  the 
roots,  leaving  of  course,  as  much  root  as  possible. 

Unforced  Roots. — When  propagating  from  roots  that 
have  not  been  forced,  the  best  results  will  be  obtained  by 
digging  out  late  in  the  Fall  and  removing  to  some  shed, 
or  otherwise  slightly  protecting,  and  allow  them  to 
freeze  out  through  the  Winter.  The  results  of  the  freez- 
ing will  be  more  than  satisfactory.  However,  they  will 
succeed  nicely  if  left  in  the  ground  until  time  for  trans- 
planting which  should  be  done  as  early  in  Spring  as 
weather  and  ground  will  permit. 

Forced  Roots. — As  some  controversy  has  arisen  over 
propagating  from  the  forced  roots,  it  is  well  to  state  that 
when  properly  handled  they  are  perfectly  safe  for  propa- 
gating, and  valuable  in  keeping  up  the  root  supply,  and 
whatever  professedly  wise  men  may  say  of  their  use- 
lessness,  and  "throwing  them  on  the  manure  heap," 
should  be  passed  by  as  idle  talk.  Simply,  when  forcing, 
give  the  roots  a  chance  for  their  lives,  and  when  they 
begin  to  decline,  stop  the  growth  by  removing  from  the 
cellar  to  a  shed,  or  otherwise  slightly  protect  them  from 
too  severe  changes,  until  time  for  transplanting. 

Divide  and  otherwise  treat  them  just  the  same  as  un- 
forced roots  and  they  will  again  be  ready  for  forcing 
in  from  two  to  three  years.  The  Writer  has  seen  as  fine 
roots  as  could  be  desired  dug  out  the  second  year  after 
transplanting. 

All  propagated  roots  should  be  planted  into  perma- 
nent rows  four  to  five  feet  apart,  aud  the  ground  between 
the  rows  may  be  used  for  catcli  crops  the  first  year. 

Plants  for  srttiiuj. — These  may  l)e  ol)tained  from 
anv  of  the  reliable  seed  or  nursery  men ;  and  will  well 


CULTURE.  41 

repay  the  eost.  Time  is  money,  in  getting  estcil)lislied  in 
the  work,  and  they  will  save  frnm  ouo  to  two  years'  time 
over  plants  from  the  seed. 

Growing  from  the  Seed. — This  then  is  also  recom- 
mended in  addition  to  the  work  of  propagating.  How- 
ever, one  point  must  not  be  lost  sight  of,  rhubarb  seed 
with  one  exception,  cannot  be  relied  upon  to  reproduce 
its  own.  Myatt's  Victoria  is  the  exception  and  has  be- 
come so  thorouglily  established  in  its  type  tliat  it  nearly 
always  comes  true  to  name.  Hence  to  sow  seed  from  any 
and  all  varieties,  at  hand  would  be  unsafe  (except  for 
experimental  purposes)  and  liable  to  result  in  serious 
loss  of  time.  Experiments  however,  are  always  in  order 
and  many  times  very  useful ;  as  many  vahial)le  varieties 
are  thus  discovered  and  added  to  the  list  of  both  fruit 
and  vegetables.    " 

The  seed  is  sown  in  hotbeds  early  in  the  Spring,  in 
drills  four  to  six  inches  apart,  or  in  the  o])en  ground  as 
early  as  weather  will  permit  in  rows  12  or  15  inches 
apart.  When  the  plants  are  well  up  and  somewhat 
established,  thin  to  three  or  four  inches  in  the  row. 
When  six  to  eight  weeks  old  transplant  12  to  15  inches 
apart  in  the  rows.  If  sown  in  the  open  ground,  thin  out 
the  rows  to  the  proper  distance  using  the  plants  thus 
removed  for  other  rows. 

The  work  of  transplanting  will  be  greatly  simplified 
by  opening  the  rows  witli  the  plow,  turning  a  shallow 
furrow  for  the  plants,  and  deeper,  according  to  size,  for 
propagating  roots. 

Thorough  tillage  must  be  kept  up  the  entire  season 
through  to  give  all  the  growth  possible.  The  following 
Spring,  transplant  into  permanent  rows  four  to  five 
feet  apart. 

Tillage. — Eemember  that  the  largest  possi])le  growth 


42 


THE  NEAV   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 


CULTURE.  43 

is  the  object  sought ;  it  follows,  then,  that  tillage  must  be 
thorough  and  constant.  It  will  be  essentially  the  same 
whether  propagated,  grown  from  plants  or  from  seed. 
The  ground  should  be  covered  with  a  heavy  coat  of 
manure  in  the  Fall,  and  in  the  Spring  it  should  be 
cultivated  in.  As  soon  as  the  frost  is  out  sufficiently, 
fork  the  ground  thoroughly  along  the  rows  and  in  the 
hills,  letting  in  the  sunshine  and  giving  the  plants  an 
early  start. 

Note  1. — Xo  stalks  should  be  picked  the  first  season; 
and  none  should  ever  be  allowed  to  go  to  seed,  as  it  is 
very  exhausting.  After  the  first  year  the  stalks  can  be 
pulled  for  the  market  but  should  not  be  drawn  upon  too 
heavily,  especially  if  designed  for  forcing  in  the  Winter. 

During  the  bearing  season,  the  cultivation  of  course 
has  to  be  discontinued,  on  account  of  interfering  with 
the  crop.  Hence  then,  the  great  importance  of 
thorough  work  while  it  can  be  done.  As  soon  as  the 
bearing  season  is  over  cultivation  should  again  begin, 
especially  if  the  roots  are  to  be  forced  during  the  Winter. 
The  heavy  draft  upon  the  plants  during  the  bearing 
season  together  with  the  hot  dry  weather  often  prevalent 
during  the  whole  after  season,  all  tend  to  weaken  and 
impair  the  vitality.  Thorough  cultivation  at  this  time 
is  highly  necessary  to  stimulate  the  roots  and  to  destroy 
the  grass  and  weeds  which  would  otherwise  absorb  the 
moisture  and  plant  food  which  the  roots  so  much  re- 
quire. 

If  Winter  forcing  is  to  follow,  a  heavy  application  of 
barnyard  manure  should  be  applied  along  the  rows.  If 
to  remain  standing  for  the  following  year,  the  manure 
need  not  be  applied  until  later,  say  after  the  ground 
freezes  when  it  should  be  applied  sufficiently  heavy  to 
well  cover  the  entire  surface. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

COMPARISON  OF  OLD   AND   NEW   METHODS. 

Criticisms  Ansivered. — A  brief  outline  of  the  New 
Culture  i)ublished  in  the  Rural  New  Yorker  of  1898 
furnished  the  text  for  criticisms  by  some  of  the  Eastern 
growers,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston  where  the 
old  glass  method  of  field  forcing  is  still  in  vogue. 

Judgment  was  hastily  passed,  and  the  New  Culture 
was  sent  to  the  rear,  as  being  too  expensive  for  the  slight 
advance  in  price  and  the  limited  demand  for  the  pro- 
duct. Answering  the  criticisms  in  a  later  issue  of  the 
same  paper  it  was  shown  that  the  expense  of  the  old 
method  for  forcing  upon  the  scale  carried  on  in  the 
West  would  be  beyond  the  reach  of  the  ordinary  gar- 
dener. As  to  prices  and  demand,  large  quantities  were 
grown  here  at  highly  remunerative  prices  and  sold  in 
nearly  all  the  large  Eastern  cities,  Boston  included,  with 
express  and  commission  men's  charges  added-. 

The  Old  Method.- — As  practiced  in  the  East,  the  old 
method  consists  simply  of  constructing  a  rough  board 
shed  over  the  plants  as  they  grow  in  the  tield.  The 
shed  is  three  or  four  feet  high  on  the  front  side  and 
one  foot  higher  at  the  back  to  give  the  slope  for  the 
glass.  The  ends  are  boarded  up  and  the  sash  are  put 
on  resting  upon  the  rafters.  No  heat  is  used  other 
than  the  sunlight  which  the  glass  conserves.  The  forc- 
ing usually  begins  the  latter  part  of  February  or  first  of 
March.  The  roots  are  not  lifted  but  remain  in  the  rows 
four  to  five  feet  apart,  and  to  force  in  quantities  would 
require  glass  by  the  acre.    The  same  method  was  former- 


COMPARISON   OF   OLD    AND   NEW   METHODS.  45 

ly  practiced  by  Western  growers,  except  that  to  econ- 
omize in  glass,  the  roots  were  dng  out  and  phiced  in  hot- 
bed boxes.  It  is  a  back  number  here,  however,  for  many 
reasons. 

First,  the  color  and  quality  by  the  Xew  Culture  are 
vastly  superior  to  that  grown  under  glass,  second,  the 
old  method  can  hasten  the  crop  but  a  few  days  at  best, 
whereas  tons  of  it  can  be  grown  in  the  cellars  before 
the  glass  out  in  the  field  could  have  the  least  possible 
effect.  Third,  the  dark  forcing  gives  very  little  leaf, 
never  opening  out  on  a  large  portion  of  the  stalks. 
Grown  under  glass,  most  of  the  strength  is  lost  in  the 
leaf  which  grows  rank  and  green. 

By  the  new  method,  rhubarb,  and  a  finer  quality 
than  was  ever  grown  in  the  field  or  under  glass,  may  be 
grown  for  home  use  or  market  from  the  middle  of 
December  to  April. 

Growing  in  Greenhouse. — This  method  is  essentially 
the  same  in  detail,  though  not  in  results,  as  the  new 
culture.  The  labor  of  lifting  and  setting  the  roots  would 
be  the  same.  The  season  under  either  would  be  prac- 
tically the  same.  At  this  point  the  methods  part  com- 
pany and  the  results  of  the  new  culture  by  practical 
demonstrations  are  clearly  shown  to  be  far  and  away 
ahead  of  the  ojd^  first  as  to. 

Quality. — Xo  method  of  culture,  either  outdoor  or 
forced,  where  light  is  used  has  ever  produced  an  article 
equal  to  the  dark  forced.  The  color,  quality,  and  absence 
of  leaf  are  all  in  favor  of  the  new  culture;  and  in  so 
far  as  tested  for  that  particular  point  the  yield  is  also 
greater.     And  as  to, 

Adaptability. — Greenhouse  culture  would  of  neces- 
sity be  limited  to  a  very  few  growers,  and  they  the  lucky 
possessors  of  a  greenhouse.     In  tlie  Xew  Culture,  the 


46  THE   NEW    RHUBARB    CULTURE. 

field  is  the  worlds  applicable  to  all  from  the  extensive 
farmer  down  through  the  various  grades  to  the  owner 
or  renter  of  a  city  or  village  house  and  lot.  The  enter- 
prise has  come  to  stay,  and  the  groAvers  by  this  method 
will  be  the  harvesters,  while  the  followers  of  the  old 
methods  will,  of  necessity,  be  merely .  the  gleaners. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FUTURE   OUTLOOK. 

The  magnitude  of  the  forcing  industry,  as  elsewhere 
referred  to,  has  readied  a  limit  heretofore  nnthought 
of,  but  as  we  firmly  believe,  it  is  yet  in  its  infancy.  Yet 
with  all  its  magnitude  the  dwellers  in  the  rural  districts 
are  practically  shut  out  of  its  benefits.  True,  the  farm- 
er on  his  periodical  trips  to  the  village  or  city  market 
can  buy  these  products  provided  his  entire  load  of 
produce  will  sell  for  enough  to  buy  these  delicacies,  suf- 
ficient for  a  meal  or  two.  It  is  refreshing  and  pleasant 
to  know  that  this  one  industry  is  brought  right  to  the 
farmer's  door,  and  by  its  cheapness  and  simplicity,  one 
product  of  the  forcing  industry,  and  that  the  most  de- 
licious yet  produced  may  be  enjoyed  by  every  farmer 
and  his  family  as  the  fruit  of  liis  own  labor.  While  this 
is  the  fact  nevertheless  comparatively  few  will  under- 
take it  for  they  will  all  begin  '"with  one  accord  to  make 
excuses."' 

While  entirely  practicable  and  feasible  for  nearly  all 
classes,  and  especially  farmers  and  gardeners  to  supply 
themselves  with  this  luxury  from  January  to  May,  it 
would  be  entirely  impracticable  for  all  to  engage  in 
the  work  as  a  business.  Individual  circumstances  and 
surroundings  must  be  carefully  studied,  as  access  to 
markets,  facilities  for  maintaining  the  root  supply  and 
many  other  features. 

A  headlong  plunge  into  the  work  as  "the  horse 
rusheth  into  the  battle,""  would  to  many  mean  failur(\ 
Here  in  Detroit,  essentially  its  home  and  birthplace  as 


48  THE   NEW   RHUEARB   CULTURE. 

an  established  enterprise,  thousands  of  dolhirs  are  paid 
the  gardeners  every  winter  for  the  product.  Tons  are 
consumed  here  and  tons  are  shipped  away,  reaching 
nearly  all  the  principal  cities  of  the  United  States.  Yet 
comparatively  few  of  the  farmers  or  gardeners  are  en- 
gaged in  the  work.  Scores  and  hundreds  of  the  people 
here  never  heard  of  the  enterprise  and  themselves,  prob- 
ably, never  tasted  the  product.  Yet  the  enterprise  is 
growing,  and  the  work  is  extending,  and  erelong  the 
growing  of  the  roots  for  forcing  will  be  a  business  of 
itself. 

The  Demand. — Within  the  recollection  of  many  not 
old  enough  to  be  very  near  relatives  of  Adam,  tomato 
growing  has  grown  to  marvelous  proportions ;  but  the 
demand  for  tomatoes  had  to  be  created.  The  demand 
will  have  to  be  made  for  winter  rhubarb. 

But  this  is  only  history  repeated.  Figuratively 
speaking  the  luxuries  of  yesterday  become  the  necessities 
of  to-day,  and  once  having  tested  the  qualities  of  this 
new  delicacy  its  merits  will  fully  establish  its  necessity; 
and  the  men  who  grow  it  and  help  to  build  up  that 
demand,  will  get  in  on  the  first  fioor  and  make  the 
money. 

The  growers  here  are  often  unable  to  obtain  what 
roots  they  need  for  immediate  use  and  are  ready  to  pay  a 
fair  price,  $10  per  100,  and  do  their  own  hauling  for 
thrifty  forcing  roots.  They  can  be  profitably  grown  at 
that  price,  as  the  ground  for  the  first  year  after  trans- 
planting can  be  advantageously  used  for  catch  crops 
and  the  second  year  should  yield  sufficient  rhubarb  to 
pay  all  expenses  of  caring  for  the  crop. 

Thus  the  outlook  seems  encouraging  from  any  stand- 
point. Competition,  for  the  present  at  least,  will  be 
chieflv  confined  to  localities  north  of  sav  38  degrees,  and 


FUTURE   OUTLOOK.  49 

while  localities  south  of  that  should  become  valuable 
markets  for  the  product,  the  productiou  of  the  crop  could 
not  be  depended  upon  except  through  acclimating  the 
plants  elsewhere  referred  to. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Extracts  from  Bulletin  No.  55,  1899. 
Rhode  Island  Experiment  Station. 

In  the  Rural  New  Yorker  for  1898,  page  736,  ap- 
peared a  brief  note  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that 
rhubarb  may  be  forced  in  the  dark  in  any  ordinary  frost- 
proof cellar  or  ont-building.  Xot  knowing  of  the  ex- 
cellent articles  which  were  to  follow,  the  subject  was 
thought  to  offer  an  interesting  tield  for  further  inquiry. 
Some  simple  experiments  were  therefore  begun,  to  test 
the  feasibility  of  thus  growing  it. 

Plants  from  the  college  garden  were  thrown  out  of 
the  earth  December  6th,  before  the  ground  had  frozen. 
Six  of  these  were  transferred  to  the  greenhouse  at  once. 
Three  were  placed  on  a  bench  next  the  eaves,  which, 
though  not  the  lightest  part  of  the  house,  gave  them 
practically  full  sunlight.  The  other  three  were  placed 
underneath  a  bench  with  sides  and  ends  closely  boarded, 
to  keep  them  in  darkness.  December  17th,  after  the 
plants  in  the  field  liad  been  tlioroughly  frozen,  additional 
ones  were  brouglit  in  and  ])laced  beside  the  first  in  the 
two  positions  above  mentioned. 

On  January  6th,  it  was  noted  tlicit  the  plants  brought 
in  at  first,  without  freezing,  although  having  been  in 
the  house  longer  than  the  others,  were  far  behind  them 
in  activity.  Those  on  the  benches,  ex])osed  to  fnll  light, 
had  barely  begun  growth,  one  l)eing  almost  dormant. 
Of  those  brought  in  after  freezing,  the  ones  on  the  bench 
were   making   considerable    orowth,    there   being   many 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  RHODE  ISLAND 


51 


52  THE   NEW   EHUBARB   CULTURE. 

stalks  three  to  four  inches  long,  with  leaves  unfolding. 
In  darkness,  the  plants  brought  in  without  freezing  were 
making  a  little  growth,  while  those  which  had  first  been 
frozen  had  sprung  into  rapid  growth,  there  being  many 
excellent,  vigorous  stalks,  some  of  them  12  to  20  inches 
long.  On  these  but  very  little  leaf  had  developed,  almost 
the  entire  growth  being  made  up  of  stalk.  Some  plants 
had  thrown  up  many  small  and  weak  shoots,  while  others 
threw  up  fewer,  but  more  vigorous  and  desirable  ones. 
The  difference  between  the  frozen  and  unfrozen  plants 
was  surprising,  the  unfrozen  ones  having  produced  but 
few  stalks  and  only  one  to  tliree  inches  long.  Although 
the  house  in  wliich  they  were  grown  is  run  at  a  very  low 
temperature,  for  lettuce,  this  position  underneath  the 
bench  near  the  pipes  was  a  close  and  warm  one. 

January  9th,  five  large  plants  and  three  small  ones 
were  placed  in  the  cellar  of  a  dwelling  house,  in  a  corner 
where  light  could  be  practically  shut  off.  A  furnace 
stands  in  the  cellar  about  15  feet  from  where  the  plants 
were  placed.  The  cellar  is  a  very  large  one  and  the 
temperature  in  it  probably  ranges  about  the  same  as 
that  of  an  ordinary  cellar  without  a  furnace.  x\t  the 
time  the  crop  was  being  harvested  it  ran  about  40  de- 
grees, Fahrenheit.  Water  stands  in  parts  of  the  cellar 
and  the  ground  upon  which  the  plants  were  placed  was 
wet  and  muddy.  At  the  same  time  large  roots  were 
placed  under  the  greenhouse  bench  l^eside  tliose  put  in 
early.  All  these  roots  had  lain  on  top  of  the  ground, 
subjected  to  repeated  freezing  and  thawing,  rain  and 
snow,  for  more  than  a  montli.  It  seemed  probable  that 
they  would  be  much  weakened  thereby. 

On  January  lOth,  the  best  stalks  from  eacli  lot  placed 
in  the  greenhouse  Deceml)er  8th.  and  17th.  were  jnilled 
and   photographed.      The   product    from    frozen   plants 


EXPERIMENTS   IN   RHODE   ISLAND.  53 

grown  in  darkness  proved  to  be  exceptionally  fine,  the 
color  at  base  being  bright  cherr}^  and  var^dng  to  light 
pink  toward  the  tip,  the  extreme  upper  end  approaching 
straw  color,  the  leaf  being  lemon  a'cUow.  The  stalks 
grown  in  daylight  varied  from  sultan  to  maroon  color, 
with  tinges  of  green  on  the  flat  side  toward  the  leaf,  the 
leaf  itself  being  dark  new  green.  None  of  the  product 
from  that  brought  in  without  freezing,  and  none  from 
the  frozen  plants  grown  in  daylight,  was  suitable  for 
gathering  at  this  date,  but  the  best  of  it  was  taken  for 
comparison.  Of  that  grown  in  darkness,  from  frozen 
plants,  only  those  stalks  which  had  made  as  good  growth 
as  they  were  likely  to  make  were  gathered,  and  but  three 
of  these  appear  in  the  photograph.  Some  stalks  were 
longer  than  those  shown. 

On  January  19th,  the  plants  brought  in  on  the  9th, 
were  observed  to  be  starting  into  growth  nicely,  many 
stalks  being  three  to  four  inches  long.  The  ones  placed 
in  the  dwelling-house  cellar  showed  no  activity.  These 
latter  had  only  pushed  slightly  above  the  soil  on  January 
30th,  and  gave  their  first  product  March  11th. 

By  the  middle  of  February  those  plants  first  brought 
in  had  begun  to  decline,  the  stalks  being  small  and 
slender.  They  were  apparently  nearly  past  their  use- 
fulness. All  those  growing  under  the  bench  were  taken 
out  February  27th;  those  placed  on  the  bench  were  re- 
moved March  6th,  and  the  ones  brought  in  in  January 
were  taken  from  under  the  bench  March  17th. 

The  total  yields  obtained  are  as  follows : — 

Total.         Av.  per  plant, 
lbs.       oz.       lbs.       oz. 
Plants  brought  in  Dec.  8th,  not  frozen, 

No.  1,  3  plants,  grown  in  the  light,  1^  ^ 

No.  2,  3  plants,  grown  in  darkness,       5      3%         1      12y\ 


Total, 
lbs.       oz. 

Av.  per  plant, 
lbs.       oz. 

41        1 

4 

9 

43       1% 

6 

A 

41       b% 

5 

2H 

.07 

13 

6 

5  4  THE    NEW    RHUBAKB   CULTURE. 


Plants  brought  in  Dec.  17th,  frozen, 
No.  3,  9  plants,  grown  in  the  light, 
No.  4,  7  plants,  grown  in  darkness, 

Plants  brought  in  Jan.  9th,  repeatedly 
frozen, 
No.  o,  8  plants,  greenhouse  darkness, 
No.  6,  8  plants  (5   large  3  small), 
cool  cellar,  dark, 

Too  much  dependence  must  not  be  placed  on  these 
yields.  Plants  taken  from  the  college  garden  were  used, 
the  variety  being  unknown.  They  may,  or  may  not  have 
yielded  as  well  as  plants  should.  The  conditions  were 
not  such  as  to  warrant  drawing  definite  conclusions  con- 
cerning comparative  yields,  but  they  do  show  very  clearly 
the  necessity  of  allowing  plants  to  freeze  before  attempt- 
ing to  force  them.  They  also  seem  to  show  some  advan- 
tage in  yield  in  favor  of  plants  grown  in  darkness  rather 
than  in  light.  But  the  most  striking  difference  is  shown 
in  the  greater  yield  from  plants  grown  in  the  dwelling- 
house  cellar,  as  compared  with  those  grown  under  green- 
house benches. 

As  to  the  lengtli  of  time  required  after  bringing  the 
plants  in  from  the  field,  it  may  be  said  that  in  the  above 
lots,  No.  1,  unfrozen,  grown  in  the  light,  yielded  prac- 
tically nothing  at  any  time.  No.  2,  unfrozen,  growil  in 
darkness,  yielded  the  bulk  of  its  crop  more  than  two 
months  after  being  placed  in  position.  N"o.  3,  frozen, 
grown  in  light,  gave  its  first  large  picking  eight  weeks 
after  being  brought  in  and  the  second  two  weeks  later, 
the  bulk  having  been  taken  at  these  two  times.  No.  4, 
frozen,  grown  in  darkness,  yielded  several  pounds  17 
days  after  being  brought  in  and  the  bulk,  within  the  next 
two  weeks,  but  continued  to  yield  something  for  a  period 
of  six  weeks.     No.  5  yielded  one  ]iound  ])er  plant  three 


EXPERIMENTS   IN   RHODE   ISLAND.  55 

weeks  from  the  time  it  was  brought  in,  giving  its  heaviest 
yield  at  the  end  of  six  weeks  and  a  good  yield  at  eight 
weeks. 

Xo.  6,  placed  in  a  cool  cellar,  gave  its  first  product  a 
little  more  than  two  months  after  being  placed  there. 
This  lot  continued  to  produce  for  two  months.  The 
effect  of  temperature  and  of  freezing  on  the  time  of 
maturity  is  fully  shown,  but  not  the  influence  of  light, 
for  while  No.  3  was  much  slower  in  yielding  its  return 
than  N'o.  4,  brought  in  at  the  same  time,  the  temperature 
underneath  the  bench,  where  No.  4  was  grown,  was  much 
higher  than  the  bench,  where  No.  3  was  grown. 

To  test  the  cooking  qualities  of  the  product  grown  in 
darkness  as  compared  with  that  grown  in  light,  samples 
of  each  were  cooked  separately,  as  nearly  alike  as  pos- 
sible, and  placed  on  the  table  together.  If  properly 
cooked,  that  grown  in  darkness  makes  a  more  attractive 
sauce  than  that  grown  in  the  light,  preserving  much  of 
the  same  clear,  bright  color  seen  in  the  fresh  stalks. 
The  product  grown  in  the  light  makes  a  darker  sauce, 
tending  toward  a  dull,  greenish  unattractive  color.  Its 
flavor,  on  the  other  hand,  seems  to  be  somewhat  more 
pronounced,  perhaps  a  little  richer,  and  would  doubtless" 
be  preferred  by  some.  The  flavor  of  the  two  products  is 
not  alike,  and  the  question  of  preference,  would  depend 
chiefly  upon  the  individual.  The  attractiveness  of  sauce 
or  pies  made  from  the  product  depends  chiefly  upon  the 
method  of  cooking  and  the  external  color  of  the  stalks, 
it  being  unnecessary  to  remove  the  skin  in  either  case. 
This  color  of  the  stalk  is  in  turn  dependent  upon  the 
conditions  under  which  it  is  grown.  In  general,  the 
higher  the  temperature,  the  lighter  will  be  the  color. 

That  taken  from  the  cooler  dwelling-house  cellar 
was  much  brighter  and  more  liiglily  colored  than  that 


56  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

grown  in  the  warmer  position  beneath  the  greenhouse 
bench.  Stalks  growing  in  the  light  also  vary  in  color, 
owing  doubtless  to  individual  characteristics  of  the 
plants  as  well  as  to  differences  in  the  condition  of  light 
and  heat.  The  color  is  best  preserved  in  cooking  by 
placing  the  product  over  the  fire  in  cold  water  and  allow- 
ing it  to  heat  gradually.  Hot  water  applied  at  first 
extracts  much  of  the  color. 

*  *  *  A  comparison  between  the  normal  leaf 
development  of  light-grown  and  dark-grown  stalks  is 
shown  in  the  illustration  "Leaf  Development  in  Light 
and  in  Darkness.^'  The  product  grown  in  darkness  is 
far  more  attractive  than  that  grown  in  the  light;  if 
not  forced  too  hard  it  possesses  a  bright  cherry  or  ox- 
blood  color,  and  the  leaf  is  very  small.  That  grown 
in  daylight  possesses  a  darker  and  duller  color  some- 
what mixed  with  green,  and  the  leaf  is  large,  as  when 
grown  in  the  open  air.  The  contrast  in  leaf  develop- 
ment, both  in  size  and  color,  is  very  striking.  The  waste 
product  is,  in  the  one  case,  large,  in  the  other  almost 
nothing. 


SUMMARY. 

*  *  *  Summing  up  these  fragments,  I  wish 
to  impress  upon  every  one  who  has  a  garden  with  rhu- 
barb in  it,  the  fact  that  he  and  his  family  may  be  enjoy- 
ing in  February  and  March  of  next  year,  a  more  beauti- 
ful product  than  ever  grows  in  the  open  ground.  To  do 
it  he  will  need  to  transfer  a  few  roots  to  a  dark  corner 
of  the  cellar  after  they  have  frozen  in  the  fall,  packing  a 
little  fine  mellow  earth  about  them,  and  then  simply 
see  that  tlie  plants  are  kept  moist.  Whoever  owns  a 
garden  witli.no  rhnbarl)  in  it,  sliould  see  tliat  some  is 


EXPERIMENTS   IN   KHODE   ISLAND. 


o< 


58  THE  NEW  RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

l)laiited  there  fortliAvith.  A  warm  cellar  will  hasten  the 
crop ;  but  a  moderately  cool  one,  will  give  a  finer  product 
and  probably  a  better  3deld.  The  length  of  time  between 
planting  and  harvesting  varies  from  less  than  three 
weeks  to  more  than  two  months,  depending  chiefly  upon 
the  temperature.  Allowing  the  roots  to  freeze  in  the 
field  will  greatly  facilitate  forcing.  Large  roots  should 
yield  five  to  10  pounds  per  plant;  and  every  10  ounces  of 
that  yield  will  make  a  delicious  pie. 


Note. — It  is  with  no  small  degree  of  pleasure  and 
satisfaction  that  we  append  the  above  bulletin  almost 
entire.  Kingston  was,  I  think,  the  first  experiment 
station  to  take  up  and  verify  the  work  as  previously 
exemplified  by  myself.  The  encouragement  thus  given 
this  new  industry  will  be  of  vast  importance  to  the 
people  at  large  not  only  as  producers,  but  also  to  the 
consumers  of  the  product. 

AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

HOW   TO   USE   RHUBARB. 

For  Dessert. 

RhiiharJ)  Pies. — To  ordinary  pie  crust  (which  is 
made  with  a  teacupful  of  shortening  to  three  teacupfuls 
flour,  and  three-fourths  teacupful  very  cold  water)  add 
half  teaspoonful  salt  and  one  teaspoonful  baking  powder. 
Sift  the  salt  and  powder  with  the  flour,  add  to  this  the 
shortening,  blend  it  with  a  knife  and  lastly  add  the 
water — ice  water  is  best.  Use  the  hand  as  little  as 
possible  in  the  mixing  so  as  to  keep  the  paste  cool.  At 
once  roll  out,  fill  and  bake.  For  berry,  pumpkin,  or  any 
juicy  pies  the  baking  powder  makes  a  dryer  crust  as  it 
prevents  the  ready  absorption  of  the  juices  as  in  ordinary 
pie  crust. 

Elniharh  Pie  No.  1. — Stir  into  two  cupfuls  of  rather 
finely  chopped  rhubarb,  a  cupful  of  sugar  with  which  a 
tablespoonful  of  flour  has  been  thoroughly  mixed ;  then 
add  a  beaten  Qgg  and  arrange  in  a  pie-plate  with  two 
crusts.  Let  the  oven  be  hot  at  first  that  the  crust  may  be 
properly  baked,  after  which  cool  the  oven  to  moderation 
and  take  the  pie  out  when  it  has  baked  30  minutes  al- 
together. Ehubarb  pie,  like  all  pastry,  is  best  the  day  it 
is  made. 

Rhiibarh  Pie  No.  2. — Two  cups  of  chopped  rhubarb, 
one  and  one-quarter  cups  sugar.  Put  in  shallow  sauce- 
pan with  one-fourth  cup  of  water  and  cook  very  fast. 
When  cold,  line  a  pie  plate  with  paste,  wet  the  rim, 
add  the  rhubarb  and  lay  three  or  four  bars  of  paste 


GO  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

across,  forming  diamond-shaped  spaces,  put  a  rim  about 
the  pie,  wash  over  with  the  beaten  yolk  of  an  egg  and 
bake  in  a  quick  oven  15  minutes. 

Eliuharh  Pie  No.  3. — Beat  one  egg  with  three-fourths 
cupful  of  sugar  and  a  tablespoonful  of  flour.  To  this 
add  a  cupful  of  rhubarb  chopped  orTut  fine.  Bake  with 
one  crust.  When  done,  cover  the  pie  with  the  beaten 
white  of  an  egg,  sweeten  to  taste,  and  let  it  brown  in  the 
oven. 

Rhuharh  Pie  No.  4. — Over  three  cups  of  finely 
chopped  rhubarb  pour  cold  water,  let  stand  10  minutes, 
then  drain;  mix  two  tablespoonfuls  of  flour  with  one 
and  a  half  cups  of  sugar,  the  yolks  of  two  eggs  and  a 
heaping  tablespoonful  of  butter,  beat  well,  then  add  four 
tablespoonfuls  of  water,  and  the  rhubarb.  Stir  all  to- 
gether and  bake  with  a  lower  crust  only.  When  done 
make  a  frosting  with  the  whites  of  the  eggs  and  six 
tablespoonfuls  of  sugar,  spread  over  the  top  of  the  pies 
and  return  to  the  oven  to  brown.  This  amount  will  make 
two  pies. 

Pie  Plant  Charlotte. — Wash  and  cut  pie  plant  in 
small  pieces,  cover  the  bottom  of  a  pudding  dish  with 
a  layer  of  pie  plant  and  sugar,  then  a  layer  of  bread 
crumbs  and  bits  of  butter,  and  so  on  until  the  dish  is 
full,  having  the  crumbs  on  top.  Bake  half  an  hour  in 
a  moderate  oven.  Allow  a  pound  of  sugar  to  a  pound 
of  fruit. 

Pie  Plant  Pudding. — Cover  the  bottom  of  a  pudding 
dish  to  the  depth  of  one  and  one  half  inches  with  pie 
plant  cut  in  fine  pieces,  and  a  very  liberal  allowance  of 
sugar.  Make  a  rich  batter  of  one  cup  of  thick  sour 
cream,  one  teaspoonful  soda,  one  of  salt  (both  level  full), 
and  flour  enough  to  make  a  stiff  batter.  Pour  this  over 
the  pie  plant  and  bake  one-lialf  hour,  or  steam  three- 


now   TO   USE   RHUBARB.  61 

quarters  hour.  AVlien  done,  turn  bottom  side  up  ou  a 
large  plate  and  spread  with  butter  and  sugar;  or  cover 
with  thick  sweet  cream  and  sugar  with  a  little  nutmeg 
grated  over  the  top. 

Emergency  Pudding. — Place  a  thick  slice  of  fresh 
bread  (from  which  the  crust  has  been  removed),  upon 
a  fancy  dessert  plate,  cover  the  bread  thickl}^  with  stewed 
and  well  sweetened  rhubarb,  add  a  generous  layer  of 
sugar,  grate  a  little  nutmeg  over  it  and  pour  thick 
sweet  cream  over  all  and  serve  immediately.  •  Prepare  as 
many  plates  as  there  are  people  to  serve. 

Pick-up  Pudding. — Cover  slices  of  stale  sponge  cake 
thickly  with  stewed  rhubarb  well  sweetened;  cover  with 
whipped  cream  and  dust  powdered  sugar  over  the  top. 

Best  of  all  Pudding. — One  tablespoonful  butter,  one 
cup  sugar,  one  egg  well  beaten,  one  pint  flour,  two  tea- 
spoonfuls  baking  powder,  one  cup  sweet  milk,  beat  well 
and  bake  in  two  deep  pie  tins.  As  soon  as  done  remove 
from  oven,  cover  with  pie  plant  marmalade  and  this  in 
turn  with  the  white  of  an  egg  and  three  tablespoonfuls 
of  sugar  whipped  to  a  stiff  froth,  return  to  the  oven  to 
brown.     Serve  warm. 

Hoiv  to  cook  Rhnharb  for  Sauce. — Nearly  all  the 
recipes  for  cooking  acid  fruits  advise  adding  the  sugar 
after  the  sauce  has  become  perfectly  cold,  claiming  that 
the  acid  acting  upon  the  sugar  changes  it  to  gkicose  and 
that  the  higher  the  temperature  the  more  rapidly  the 
change  takes  place,  so  that  much  more  sugar  is  required, 
if  it  is  added  while  the  same  is  cooking. 

Now  we  have  no  quarrel  with  our  scientific  friends, 
but  we  had  always  thought  the  flavor,  color  and  texture 
of  rhubarb  sauce,  sweetened  just  before  removing  from 
the  fire,  much  finer  than  when  the  sugar  was  added 
just  before  serving;  so  Ave  quieted  our  conscience  about 


62  THE   NEAV    RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

the  extra  sugar  used,  b}^  thinking  how  niueh  better  the 
sauce  tasted. 

To  test  the  matter  both  methods  were  tried;  12 
ounces  of  rhubarb  were  placed  in  a  shallow  stew  pan  with 
three  ounces  of  water,  closely  covered  and  stewed  rapidly 
until  done,  it  was  then  turned  out  in  a  dish  and  set 
away  to  get  cold. 

The  sauce  pan  w^as  then  washed  and  12  oz.  of  rhubarb 
and  three  oz.  of  water  was  again  cooked  as  at  first,  just 
before  it  was  done,  four  oz.  of  sugar  was  added  and  the 
sauce  allowed  to  boil  one  minute,  when  it  was  turned 
into  a  dish  to  cool. 

Just  before  tea  time,  four  oz.  of  sugar  was  added  to 
the  unsweetened  sauce  and  well  stirred  in.  Five  people 
were  at  the  table  and  to  each  one  was  given  two  dishes 
of  sauce,  that  which  had  been  sweetened  while  cooking, 
in  a  glass  dish,  and  the  cold  sweetened,  in  a  china  one ; 
after  testing,  each  one  was  asked  which  sauce  had  the 
better  flavor,  also  which  was  the  sweeter,  and  the  most 
attractive  in  appearance. 

Every  one  at  the  table  voted  for  the  sauce  in  the 
glass  dishes,  as  being  best  in  flavor  and  appearance ;  two 
of  the  number  could  detect  no  difference  as  to  sweetness, 
while  the  other  three  thought  it  the  sweeter. 

This  test  was  perfectly  impartial,  as  not  one  of  the 
people  who  ate  the  sauce  knew  which  dishes  contained 
the  sauce  sweetened  while  cooking. 

And  now  is  our  conscience  clear,  and  lieth  down  like 
a  lamb,  as  we  put  the  sugar  into  the  pie  plant  while 
cooking. 

Forced  Rkuharh  Sauce. — Wash  the  stalks  and  cut  in 
inch  lengths  without  peeling.  Put  in  a  shallow  stew 
pan  with  a  very  little  cold  water  and  cook  over  a  brisk 
fire;  when  nearly  done  add  one  cup  of  sugar  for  every 


HOW   TO   USE   RHUBARB.  63 

two  of  rhubarb,  let  boil  up  and  turn  (nit  to  cool.  Always 
use  a  porcelain  or  granite  stew  pan  and  turn  into  a  glass 
or  china  sauce  dish,  as  soon  as  cool  enough  to  insure 
against  breaking. 

Cooked  in  this  way  the  sauce  will  be  a  beautiful  rose 
pink  in  color,  and  in  flavor  and  texture,  ''Fit  to  set 
before  the  King." 

Rhubarb  grown  in  the  field  or  garden  may  he  cooked 
the  same  as  the  forced  product,  in  the  early  spring;  but 
later  in  the  season,  the  following  way  will  be  found  more 
satisfactory. 

Rhuharh  Sauce  Xo.  .2. — Wash  and  peel  the  stalks 
and  cut  in  inch  lengths.  Pour  boiling  water  over  the 
rhubarb  and  let  it  stand  until  cold.  Drain,  and  to  each 
pint  of  rhubarb  add  one  cupful  of  sugar.  Let  it  stand 
until  juice  enough  is  extracted  to  -cook  it  without  adding 
any  water.     Simmer  slowly  until  done. 

To  Preserve  for  Winter   Use. 

Rhubarb  Jelly. — Pie  plant  or  Rhubarb,  alone  will 
not  make  firm  jelly ;  combined  with  apple  or  grape  juice 
a  firm,  fine  flavored  jelly  may  be  produced. 

Stew  the  rhubarb  until  tender,  strain  through  a 
jelly  bag.  Take  nice  tart  red  apples,  wash  and  cut  in 
fine  pieces  without  peeling  or  removing  the  seeds  or  cores 
(unless  wormy),  stew  as  for  sauce,  but  do  not  mash  them 
up,  turn  into  a  jelly  bag  and  let  drain.  Boil  the  rhubarb 
juice  ten  minutes  then  add  the  apple  juice  and  boil 
twenty  minutes.  Warm,  in  the  meantime,  the  sugar  in 
the  oven,  stirring  it  often  to  keep  from  browning ;  allow 
one  pound  for  each  pint  of  the  juice  (measured  before 
boiling)  ;  add  the  sugar  to  the  boiling  juice  and  continue 
to  boil  until  it  jellies  on  the  skimmer ;  remove  from  the 


64  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

fire  and  turn  into  glasses.  Let  stand  24  hours,  and 
cover  with  a  thin  layer  of  refined  paraffine  wax.  Tie 
down  closely  with  paper,  or  use  tin  covers  if  you  have 
them  and  keep  in  a  cool  dark  place. 

Rhubarh  Marmalade.- — Wash,  peel,  and  cut  up  the 
rhubarb;  weigh  and  j^ut  into  a  preserving  kettle  and 
stew  until  tender,  add  sugar  in  proportion  of  pound  to 
pound;  let  cook  slowly,  stirring  very  frequently.  Be 
careful  not  to  let  it  scorch;  an  asbestos  mat  under  the 
kettle  will  be  a  safeguard.  When  the.  sauce  has  a  clear 
jellied  appearance  it  is  done.  Take  from  tlie  fire  and 
put  in  glass  jars. 

Ca7ined  Rhubarb. — Prepare  rhubarb  exactly  as  for 
sauce.  Use  glass  cans,  fill  them  with  boiling  hot  sauce 
until  it  runs  over  the  top  of  cans,  j^ut  on  the  covers  and 
screw  down  as  tightly  as  possible,  wipe  the  can  off  clean 
and  with  the  back  of  a  heavy  butcher  knife  press  the 
flange  of  the  cover  down  tightly  against  the  rubber.  Do 
not  meddle  with  the  tops  after  they  become  cold,  trying 
to  tighten  them  then,  does  more  harm  than  good. 

Canning  Rhubarb  in  Cold  Water. — Wash,  peel,  and 
cut  up  the  rhubarb,  have  the  cans  clean  and  well  scalded ; 
put  a  cup  of  water  in  each  can  and  fill  in  with  the  cut 
rhubarb  pressing  the  pieces  snugly  together;  set  the 
can  in  a  deep  tin  pail  and  pour  cold  water  into  can  until 
it  runs  over,  then  fill  up  the  pail  so  the  top  of  the  can 
is  well  under  the  water,  when  no  more  air  bubbles  rise 
from  the  can  screw  the  cover  on  as  tightly  as  possible. 
Eemember  the  entire  process  of  putting  on  the  covers 
must  be  done  under  the  surface  of  the  water,  this  will 
effectually  exclude  the  air,  and  if  properly  done  the 
rhubarb  will  keep  perfectly.  When  ready  to  use,  pour 
off  the  water  into  the  vineo^ar  barrel  and  use  the  rhubarb 


HOW   TO   USE   EHUBAEB.  65 

for  sauce  or  pies,  same  as  though  gathered  fresh  from 
the  garden. 

Rhuharh  Cooked  in  tlic  Can. — Make  a  very  rich  syrup 
and  fill  the  cans  about  one  third  full,  then  fill  to  the  top 
with  cut  rhubarb,  pressing  the  pieces  into  the  can  as 
tightly  as  possible;  put  the  covers  on  loosely.  Have  a 
rack  made  with  a  slatted  bottom  which  will  fit  in  the 
bottom  of  the  wash  boiler,  set  boiler  on  the  stove  with  a 
little  water  in  the  bottom,  then  set  in  as  many  jars  of 
fruit  as  you  can  and  put  more  water  in  boiler,  until 
it  comes  within  an  inch  or  two  of  the  top  of  cans;  boil 
at  least  10  minutes  from  the  time  the  water  reaches 
the  boiling  point.  Lift  the  cans  from  the  water  and  set 
on  a  thickly  folded  newspaper,  take  off  the  cover  and 
fill  the  can  to  overflowing  with  hot  syrup,  put  on  the 

rubber  and  screw  on  the  cover  as  quickly  as  possible. 
To  make  the  syrup,  allow  one  cup  of  Avater  and  10  oz. 

of  sugar  for  every  quart  jar,  put  in  a  sauce  pan  and  let 

come  nearly  to  the  boiling  j^oint. 

Ehubarb  can  be  put  up  without  sugar,  observing  the 

general   directions  given   above,   using  clear   water   in 

place  of  the  syrup. 

Rhuharh  Shortcal-c. — This  is  sure  to  be  appreciated 

by  the  whole  family.     Bake  in  fiat  tins  a  shortcake  of 

rather  rich  biscuit  dough,  split  open,  butter  well  and 

spread  with  stewed  pie  plant.     Serve  with  sugar  and 

cream. 

Rhuharh  and  Apple  Pie. — Chop  together  an  equal 

amount  of  apples  and  rhubarb.    Fill  a  deep  pie  dish  with 

this,  putting  in  plenty  of  sugar,  a  lump  of  butter  and 

sprinkling  over  the  fruit  a  little  flour.     Cover  with  a 

top  crust  and  bake. 

Rhuharh  Slump. — Peel  and  cut  quite  fine  sufficient 

pie  plant  to  measure  one  quart.    Add  to  this  a  scant  pint 


66  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

of  sugar  and  simmer  gently  until  tender.  Kub  together 
one  and  one-half  cups  of  flour,  one  tablespoon  butter, 
one  teaspoon  sugar,  one  quarter  teaspoon  salt  and  one 
heaping  teaspoon  baking  powder.  Wet  with  milk  to  a 
soft  dough,  which  turn  on  to  a  floured  board  and  roll  out 
in  a  thick  sheet  that  will  just  fit  the  top  of  the  saucepan 
containing  the  rhubarb.  Lay  this  carefully  over  the 
•stewing  fruit,  cover  closely  and  simmer  slowly  for  half 
an  hour  longer.  Tlien  lift  the  cooked  crust  to  a  deep  dish 
and  pour  the  pieplant  over.  Eat  hot  as  it  is,  or  serve 
cold  with  cream. 

Rhubarb  Betty. — Soak  bread  crumbs  in  salted  water 
until  soft ;  and  arrange  in  a  pudding  dish  alternate  lay- 
ers of  the  crumbs  and  rhubarb  cut  into  small  pieces. 
Sprinkle  a  generous  amount  of  sugar  and  a  little  nutmeg 
on  each  layer.  Dot  the  top  with  butter  and  bake  in  the 
oven  until  brown.  Can  be  eaten  with  butter  and  sugar, 
or  a  hard  sauce. 

Rhubarb  Fool' — Prepare  a  sauce  with  one  quart  cut 
up  stalks  and  one  pint  sugar.  When  cooked  rub  through 
a  sieve,  return  to  the  fire  and  stir  for  10  minutes.  Then 
set  away  until  cold.  With  this,  mix  one  pint  of  thick 
cream  and  serve  immediately. 

Rhubarb  Jam. — Boil  gently  together  for  three  hours 
an  equal  amount  of  granulated  sugar  and  rhubarb,  add- 
ing the  juice  and  grated  rind  of  one  lemon  for  each 
pound  of  fruit. 

Rhubarb  and  Orange  Preserve. — Peel  six  large,  nice, 
thin-skinned  oranges;  take  off  all  the  white  rinds,  and 
slice  them  into  the  preserving  kettle.  Remove  all  seeds 
from  the  oranges.  Cut  half  of  the  yellow  rind  into 
small  pieces,  and  put  with  the  orange  pulp  into  the 
kettle.  Add  two  pounds  of  rhubarb  stalks  cut  into  small 
pieces,  a  teacu])ful  of  water  and  tliroo  and  one-half  cup- 


HOW  TO   USE   RHUBARB.  67 

fills  of  sugar.     Boil  until  the  rhubarb  is  soft,  and  seal. 

Steamed  Rhubarb. — Wash,  peel,  and  cut  the  rhubarb 
into  inch  pieces.  Put  it  into  a  granite  double  boiler,  add 
one  cup  of  sugar  for  a  pint  of  fruit,  and  cook  till  the 
rhubarb  is  soft.  Do  not  stir  it.  ^^llen  the  rhubarb  is 
very  sour,  steam  it  without  sugar  until  the  juice  flows, 
then  drain  it,  add  the  sugar,  and  steam  again  till  the 
sugar  is  dissolved.  Or  pour  boiling  water  over  it  and 
let  it  stand  five  minutes,  then  drain  and  steam. 

Spiced  Rhubarb. — Sprinkle  two  and  one-half  pounds 
rhubarb  peeled  and  sliced  thin  with  one  pound  sugar. 
Let  stand  over  night  and  in  tlie  morning  drain  off  the 
s3Tup  into  a  preserve  kettle,  add  one  cup  sugar,  one-half 
cup  water  and  one  half  cup  vinegar.  Tie  in  small  cheese- 
cloth bags  one  half  teaspoon  each  of  cloves,  mace,  all- 
spice and  ginger  and  one  teaspoon  cinnamon ;  boil  until 
the  consistency  of  syrup,  then  add  the  rhubarb  and  cook 
until  clear.  This  is  a  valuable  addition  to  the  winter's 
stores.— [A.  B.  W. 

Rhubarb  and  Gooseberries. — A  palatable  preparation 
is  made  of  half  gooseberries  and  half  rliubarb.  Boil  the 
rhubarb  and  gooseberries  with  a  very  little  water;  when 
soft,  strain  through  a  sieve,  rubbing  as  much  through  as 
possible.  Return  to  the  fire  and  boil  until  it  looks  clear 
and  begins  to  thicken.  This  will  depend  upon  the  state 
of  the  fruit.  If  the  gooseberries  are  partly  ripe  it  does 
not  require  so  long  boiling  as  it  does  when  the  fruit  is 
riper  and  has  more  juice.  ISTow  add  the  sugar,  equal 
weight  with  fruit  weighed  before  boiling,  and  boil  15 
minutes  longer.  Pour  into  bowls  or  glasses  and  wlien 
cold  cover  with  paper.  This  is  very  clear  and  sparkling 
and  has  an  excellent  flavor.  When  cold  it  will  turn 
out  like  jelly  and  may  be  cut  in  slices.  It  makes  nice 
sandwiches  for  cliildren. —  f  Eleanor  M.  Lucas. 


GS  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

Rhubarb  Compote. — Two  pounds  rhubarb  all  pre- 
pared, one  and  one-half  cups  sugar,  lemon  peel,  one  pint 
of  water. 

RJiubarb  Tart. — To  one  quart  of  stewed  rhubarb 
add  three-fourth  pounds  of  granulated  sugar,  live  eggs, 
five  ounces  of  pulverized  crackers,  after  the  rhubarb 
is  stewed  put  through  a  sieve.  The  other  ingredients 
should  be  mixed  well.  Use  only  a  bottom  crust  and  bake 
three-quarters  of  an  hour. 

Rhubarb  Sherbet. — This,  is  a  pleasant,  acid  drink 
for  warm  weather.  Wash  the  stalks  and  cut  into  inch 
pieces  without  skinning.  Measure,  and  to  one  quart 
put  an  equal  amount  of  water.  Simmer  until  very 
tender.  Add  the  grated  rind  of  one  lemon  and  three 
tablespoons  sugar,  stirring  until  the  latter  is  dissolved. 
Cool  and  strain.     Then  chill  on  ice  before  serving. 

Kansas  Lenionade. — Put  a  little  juice  of  stewed  pie- 
plant into  a  glass  of  cold  water,  sweeten  to  taste  and 
flavor  with  lemon. 

Rhubarb  Wine. — Peel,  chop  fine  and  mash  the  pie- 
plant to  a  pulp.  Weigh  and  allow  one  quart  water  and 
one  pound  sugar  to  each  pound  of  fruit.  Mix  well  and 
turn  into  an  earthen  receptacle,  where  it  should  be  cover- 
ed with  a  cloth  and  stand  until  it  ferments,  being  stirred 
daily.  When  fermentation  ceases,  skim  and  strain,  pour 
into  a  cask  and  let  stand  open  for  24  hours.  Then  close 
the  bunghole  and  keep  for  four  months,  when  it  can  be 
racked  off  into  bottles  which  should  be  closely  sealed 
and  put  away  on  their  sides. 

Rhubarb  Vinegar.— \Y ash  and  cut  the  rhubarb  into 
inch  pieces  without  peeling.  Pound  with  a  wooden 
potato  beetle;  measure  and  put  in  a  large  stone  jar. 
To  each  quart  allow  one  pint  water.  Cover  with  cheese- 
cloth and  let  stand  in  a  warm  room  for  10  days,  stirring 


HOW   TO    USE    EH  LIB  A  KB.  69 

twice  a  day.  Strain  through  cheesecloth,  measure  and 
return  to  the  jar.  Allow  one  cup  sugar  to  each  quart  of 
liquid.  Add  a  few  spoonfuls  water,  dissolve  over  the  fire, 
cool  and  add  to  the  contents  of  the  jar.  Cover  again 
with  the  cloth  and  let  stand  as  before  until  it  is  a  good 
strong  vinegar,  then  bottle. 

EXD  OF  PART  ONE. 


PART  II. 


CHAPTER    I. 

VARIOUS  FORCING   METHODS. 

Some  growers  near  Boston  and  New  York  have  rhu- 
barb beds  especially  for  forcing  under  glass  without 
transplanting.  They  are  set  closer  than  for  field  cul- 
ture say  two  feet  or  2  x  3  feet  a])art,  the  rows  being 
short  and  numerous  thus  giving  the  bed  of  rliubarb  the 
shape  of  an  ordinary  rectangular  greenhouse,  averaging 
say  20  x  75  feet.  At  the  side  of  this  l)ed  a  skeleton  frame 
is  erected,  as  for  the  ordinary  sash  house.  Then  when 
desired  to  force  the  crop,  say  any  time  from  I)eceml)er 
to  Fel)ruary,  the  space  is  covered  with  liotbed  sashes, 
the  sides  beiug  boarded  up  and  banked  around  with 
manure. 

Sometimes  steam  pipes  are  run  into  the  rhubarb 
house,  and  the  house  then  becomes  like  a  greenhouse  in 
conditions,  forcing  the  crop  rapidly.  The  heat  of  the 
sun  alone  and  that  of  the  manure  piled  arouud  the  out- 
side hastens  the  crop  greatly.  The  snow  quickly  melts 
away.  Sometimes  tlic  sides  of  the  house  are  covered  with 
building  paper.  As. soon  as  the  weather  becomes  warm 
the  sasli  aud  frame  are  removed  and  the  plants  given 
ordinary  field  culture.  By  this  plan  the  crop  is  forced 
witliont  disturbing  or  injuring  the  plants  wliich  are 
already  in  place  for  the  following  season,  and  summer 
culture  is  made  very  easy  and  simple.  When  sashes  are 
not  wanted  for  the  rhubarb  house,  they  can  be  used  on 
hotbeds.  Much  of  the  very  early  native  crop  around  large 
eastern  cities  comes  from  cold  frames  and  forcing  houses 
built  according  to  the  plan  just  described. 


74  THE    NEAV    RHUBARB    CUETITRE. 

Tli'j  iiioi'c  inodern  of  those  lioiisos  have  an  cxeii-span 
roof,  two  or  more  rows  of  sash  on  a  side.  'J'he  board 
sides  are  three  to  four  feet  high,  and  the  ridge  six  to 
eight  feet  high,  giving  sufficient  ])itcli  to  the  sash  roof. 
Sashes  are  held  in  phice  h^^  screw  l)olts,  and  about  one- 


LoNG  Island  Sash  House. 


third  of  the  sashes  on  the  upper  rows  on  each  side  of  the 
liouse  are  hinged  at  the  upper  end  to  allow  them  to 
1)0  raised  for  ventilation.  The  ridge  where  the  sashes 
come  together  at  the  top  may  be  protected  with  roofing 
paper,  and  weather  strips  at  the  sides  of  the  sashes  will 
save  heat. 


YAKIOUS   FORCING   METHODS.  75 

A  .soiiiewliat  different  style  is  eominon  on  the  farm 
gardens  of  Xew  Jersey  and  Long  Island.  One  of  these 
at  Flushing,  L.  I.,  is  shown  in  the  illustration.  The 
sides  of  board  are  only  two  feet  high,  but  working  space 
is  secured  inside  l\v  means  of  a  sunken  walk  through  the 
middle,  thus  dividing  the  interior  into  two  beds  extend- 
ing lengthwise.  These  beds  are  a  foot  lower  than  the 
ground  outside.  There  are  two  rows  of  sash  on  a  side. 
The  frame  is  nicelv  beveled  to  receive  the  sash,  and  the 


ICCU. 


Hot  Water  Forcing  House. 

ridge  is  protected  by  a  permanent  board  covering.  Roots 
are  taken  up  and  packed  closely,  as  in  cold  frames. 
A^  artificial  heat  is  usually  considered  necessary. 

Hot  Water  System. — On  the  market  garden  farm 
of  Edward  Farmer  in  the  Boston  district  is  a  large 
sash  house,  resembling  an  enlarged  cold  frame,  but  sup- 
plied with  extra  heat  by  means  of  hot  water  pipes. 
The  house  is  about  2G0  feet  long  and  divided  crosswise 
into  halves  by  a  l)oard  partition.  Each  half  is  forced 
once  in  two  years,  thus  allowing  a  full  season's  growth  to 


76  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   C^TTLTUEE. 

g-aiii  strength  after  ilic  })i'()(rss.  By  this  plan  the  phints 
have  retained  their  vigor  for  six  or  seven  years,  if  the 
hills  are  kept  down  by  dividing;  but  must  be  renewed  or 
replaced  at  the  end  of  that  period.  Plants  are  set  2x3 
feet,  being  forced  where  they  grow. 

A  section  of  the  interior  is  shown  in  the  illustration 
herewith.  The  building  is  about  30  feet  wide.  The 
roof  pitches  enough  to  run  most  of  the  water  off  the 
sashes,  but  if  some  leaks  inside  the  crop  is  not  harmed. 
Each  side  of  the  roof  is  four  sashes  wide.  The  sides 
of  the  building  are  of  inch  board  the  upper  two-thirds 
protected  with  felting  paper.  The  banking  of  manure 
covers  the  lower  tliird  of  the  sides  and  is  applied  at 
the  time  the  sashes  are  put  on.  The  lieater  is  one  of 
the  kind  often  used  for  heating  dwellings.  It  cost 
$50  without  the  piping.  The  heating  pipe  runs  the 
length  of  the  building  about  three  feet  high,  and  the 
return  pipes  are  close  to  the  sides  of  the  building  near 
the  ground.  The  box-like  structure  in  the  picture  is  a 
wooden  covering  for  the  heater. 

No  attempt  is  made  to  secure  ordinary  greenhouse 
conditions.  Sometimes  in  very  cold  weather  the  tem- 
perature goes  away  down,  and  the  heater  scarcely  keeps 
its  pipes  from  freezing.  But  even  if  the  leaves  of  the 
hardy  plant  are  stiffened  with  the  frost,  no  permanent 
harm  is  done.  There  are  no  pests  or  diseases  in  the 
forcing  house  and  the  crop  is  regarded  as  a  sure  one. 
It  brings  from  eight  to  15  cents  per  pound  in  the  Boston 
market.  A  very  interesting  feature  of  the  house  just 
described  is  the  way  in  which  an  extra  crop  is  secured, 
at  slight  cost.  In  September,  two  rows  of  dandelions  are 
transplanted  between  the  rows  of  rhubarb  as  in  the 
illustration,  the  plants  being  obtained  from  a  field  out- 
side.    These  ^re  of  a  cultivated  varietv.     When  heat  is 


VARIOUS   FORCIXG    ^METHODS.  7/ 

ai)i)lied,  (lie-  (landclions  start  in  about  four  weeks  and 
are  out  of  the  way  before  the  rhubarb  needs  the  room. 
The  rhubarb  is  allowed  to  grow  until  it  is  well  matured 
and  is  picked  only  once,  but  the  single  picking  is  a 
tliorouah  ^>n(\     The  cron  occunies  the  house  from  De- 


HoT  Watku  FoKciNG  House  (Interior  View). 

ccraber  to  March,  after  which  period  the  glass  is  taken 
olf  and  used  for  other  crops.  Several  other  growers 
use  practically  the  methods  just  described,  some  having 
steam  heat  in  place  of  hot  water,  and  running  a  pipe 
into  the  rhubarb  house  from  an  adjoining  greenhouse. 
Cold  Frames. — The  conimon  plan  for  forcing  with- 


<S  THE   NEW    RHITBARB    CULTURE. 

out  artificial  heat  is  by  tlic  use  of  cold  rraines  made 
rather  deeper  than  ordinary,  to  allow  full  growth  of  the 
stalks.  Some  cold  frames  are  sunken  pits,  two  feet  deep 
and  covered  with  sashes.  But  the  usual  way  is  to 
inclose  with  boards  a  patch  of  rhubarb  thickly  planted, 
and  cover  it  with  sash  at  the  proper  season,  usually  in 
])ecember.  The  only  heat  supplied  is  that  of  the  sun 
retained  by  the  glass,  and  that  afforded  by  a  mixture  of 
manure  and  earth,  banked  up  against  the  sides.  Some 
growers  cover  the  plants  with  18  inches  of  litter  or 
coarse  manure  during  cold  weather,  also  putting  on  the 
sash  and  sti-aw  mats  or  wooden  shutters,  the  object  being 
to  keep  the  soil  in  the  frames  from  freezing  deeply.  The 
covering  is  raked  off  as  soon  as  the  coldest  weather  is 
past.  Most  growers  use  no  protection  other  than  the 
glass. 

The  care  of  cold  frames  for  this  hardy  plant  is  so 
simple  and  easy  that  a  beginner  will  have  no  trouble. 
A  little  ventilation  must  be  given  on  warm  days,  by 
raising  the  sash  slightly.  AVatering  with  a  solution  of 
nitrate  of  soda,  a  teaspoonful  to  a  pail  of  water  will 
liolp  force  the  growth.  Xot  much  water  is  needed  and 
many  do  not  water  at  all.  A  board  shutter,  like  the  one 
illustrated,  put  over  each  sash  on  cold  nights  will  prove 
a  help,  but  the  shutter  is  not  an  essential  for  rhubarb, 
as  a  freeze  does  not  permanently  injure  the  plants.  Stir 
the  soil  with  a  hoe  and  pull  the  weeds. 

The  illustration  shows  a  good  specimen  of  a  double- 
sash  rhubarb  frame  Avithout  heat  other  than  that  sup- 
plied by  banking  up  with  manure  on  the  outside.  For 
this  purpose  the  rhubarb  is  set  2  x  3  feet,  and  the  frame 
is  put  on  without  moving  the  plants.  Two  rows  of 
sash  cover  the  frame  and  are  put  on  the  last  of  Decem- 
ber, and  the  sides  are  banked  at  the  same  time.     This 


VARIOUS   FOROING    METHODS. 


79 


particular  J'ranie  belongs  to  the  great  llawson  green- 
house plant  near  Boston,  Mass.  The  sides  are  of  t\^ 
inch  plank,  two  feet  high,  and  the  sash  supports  are 
of  2  X  4  inch  joists.  The  rhubarb  is  picked  moderately 
two  or  three  times  a  season,  and  does  not  seem  to  be 


w.  M- 


^•5  Cold  Fkames  roii  lliiuiiARB. 


Vvcakened  much  by  the  process.  The  variety  is  the 
Linnaeus.  The  location  is  at  the  south  side  of  other 
buildings,  thus  securing  protection  from  the  cold  winds. 
Such  a  location  is  a  very  important  aid  to  earliness. 
Where  there  is  no  room  for  the  forcing  patch  south  of 
other  buildings,  it  will  pay  to  erect  a  board  fence  for 


tjASII   AND   SUUXTEK. 


VARIOUS   FORCING   METHODS.  81 

a  shelter.  For  cold  frames,  Liniiieus  is  usually  consider- 
ed the  most  satisfactor}'  variety.  Tlie  plan  just  describ- 
ed, where  a  plot  is  inclosed  and  forced  where  it^grows 
in  the  held,  represents  the  common  practice  in  the 
Northeast.  In  the  gardening  districts  around  Xew  York 
and  Philadel])liia,  the  roots  are  often  dug  up  and  packed 
side  by  side  in  the  frames,  hlling  the  spaces  with  earth. 
The  practice  saves  space  but  makes  more  lal)or  and 
causes  greater  injury  to  the  roots. 

One  of  tlie  Long  Island  cold  frames  for' single  rows 
of  sashes  is  also  illustrated,  being  shown  without  the 
glass,  as  in  suunner  aud  fall.  The  sides,  two  feet  high, 
are  of  inch  board  suj)ported  on  edge  by  small  stakes 
driven  close  to  the  board.  The  alley  between  the  string 
of  frames  is  two  feet  wide.  During  summer  the  sashes 
are  removed  and  })iled,  tlie  ends  of  the  string  of  frames 
are  removed  and  the  ground  kept  in  cultivation  by  horse 
power.  Very  little  hand  work  is  needed  with  this  crop. 
No  crossbars  are  used.  By  having  one  side  about  six 
inches  lower  than  the  other,  the  fall  will  be  sufBcient 
to  carry  off  the  water,  but  for  a  hardy  plant  like  rhubarb, 
leakage  is  not  considered  of  much  consequence.  The 
roots  are  transplanted  and  are  packed  in  the  frames  the 
last  of  December. 

The  method  of  making  hotlieds  for  rhubarb  is  very 
similar,  but  rather  ]uore  care  is  taken  to  preserve  heat, 
and  by  the  method  described  in  Part  First,  Chapter  II., 
no  glass  is  required.  Tlie  cold  frames,  having  no  manure 
to  supply  heat  and  depending  wholly  on  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  cannot  be  used  to  force  a  winter  crop,  but  will  bring 
the  spring  cro]i  a  week  or  two  earlier  than  the  outdoor 
growji,  and  will  ])ro(lnc(^  equal  weight  in  yield  as  com- 
pared  with   h()tl)eds.      The   niclhod    of   foix-ing   rhubai'b 


82  THE   NEW    KHUBARB    CULTURE. 

under  greenhouse  benches  is  described  in  Part  First. 
Chapter  II. 

One  grower  near  Boston  estimates  the  yield  of  rhu- 
barb under  glass  at  20  pounds  per  sash,  worth  at  five 
cents  per  pound,  $1.  The  distance  here  was  2x2  feet. 
The  crop  grew  in  about  five  weeks,  after  which  the  glass 
was  removed  and  used  over  radish  hotbeds.  Steam  was 
used  to  force  this  crop,  the  roots  remaining  in  the  ground 
throughout  the  year. 

Steam  Forcing  in  Open  Fields. — Winter  forcing  in 
the  open  field  has  been  found  practicable,  the  soil  being 
heated  with  steam  or  hot  water  introduced  through 
underground  tunnels.  European  gardeners  sometimes 
construct  permanent  tunnels  of  brick  between  the  rows, 
and  heat  the  plant  beds  with  hot  water  through  pipes 
laid  in  these  tunnels.  A  less  expensive  plan  of  field 
forcing  has  been  successfully  tried  at  the  Missouri  ex- 
periment station;  asparagus  being  growm  from  1896  to 
1899,  while  during  the  season  of  1900-1901,  the  rhubarb 
crop  was  treated  in  precisely  the  same  manner  and  with 
every  indication  that  the  results  would  be  equally  favor- 
able. 

The  idea  of  this  method  is  to  avoid  the  expense  of 
piping  or  other  construction,  l)y  blowing  hot  steam  into 
board  tunnels  betAveen  the  rov/s.  Trenches  were  first 
made  between  the  rows,  which  are  four  feet  apart.  They 
were  opened  with  a  plow,  going  once  through  and  back 
again,  and  were  made  uniform  by  means  of  a  spade. 
These  trenches  were  then  covered  with  12-inch  boards, 
which  rested  on  four  inch  blocks,  placed  at  frequent  in- 
tervals along  either  side  of  tlie  trenches.  This  formed 
tunnels  between  the  rows  for  conducting  the  steam.  To 
guard  against  the  steam's  escaping,  two  or  three  inches 
of  soil  was  placed  over  the  boards,  and  the  plot  was  then 


VARIOUS   FORCING   METHODS.  83 

covered  with  five  or  six  inclies  of  horse  manure.  Tliis 
covering  was  to  prevent  tlie  heat  from  escaping  from 
the  soil  too  rapidly.  It  was  then  ready  for  the  steam 
to  be  turned  into  the  tunnels.  In  the  illustration  one 
of  tlie  tunnels  has  been  uncovered  to  show  its  construc- 
tion. 

To  conduct  the  steam  a  one  and  one  half  inch  pipe 
was  carried  above  ground  from  the  boiler  to  one  end 
of  the  central  tunnel,  a  distance  of  185  feet.  A  steam 
liose  long  enough  to  reach  eacli  tmmel  was  attached 
to  this  pipe  through  which  lo  blow  steam  into  the 
tunnels.  It  was  not  the  idea  to  give  a  constant  supply 
of  steam,  but  to  discharge  a  little  into  the  tunnels  each 
afternoon,  or  a^  often  as  was  necessary  to  maintain 
sufficient  Avarmth.  A  piece  of  tile  was  inserted  into  the 
mouth  of  each  tunnel  to  prevent  the  discharging  steam 
from  tearing  away  the  earth. 

The  first  steam  was  turned  into  the  tunnels  on 
Xovember  14.  Steam  was  discharged  into  each  tunnel, 
not  to  exceed  five  minutes  at  a  time,  in  order  not  to  heat 
the  earth  too  hot  in  any  single  place.  It  required  about 
one  liour  of  steaming  the  first  day  to  bring  the  bed  u]) 
to  the  required  temperature  of  GO  degrees.  The  dis- 
tribution of  heat  througliout  the  bed  was  very  uniform 
and  satisfactory.  The  moist  steam  seemed  to  permeate 
the  soil  equally  in  all  directions. 

After  the  first  day,  very  little  steaming  was  neces- 
sary until  the  crop  Ijcgan  to  be  produced.  On  an  average 
the  bed  was  steamed  al^out  twice  in  three  days  and  then 
onlv  for  al)out  five  jninutes  for  each  tunnel.  The  soil 
and  horse  manure  mulch  seemed  to  hold  the  heat  very 
well,  the  frequent  steamings  keeping  up  fermentation 
in  the  mulcli. 

The  first  picking  was  made  in  ten  days.  When  steam 
was  not  turned  on  until  tlie  last  of  December,  the  crop 
was  not  ready  until  the  middle  of  January.  Tlie  results 
are  thus  summarized  by  Horticulturist  Whitten : — 

The  steam,  comino-  in  direct  contact  with  the  soil, 


84 


THE    NEW    RHUBARB    CULTURE. 


VARIOUS   FORCING  METHODS.  85 

readily  penetrates  it,  heating  the  whole  bed  uniformly; 
whereas  if  the  tunnels  are  heated  by  inclosed  steam  or 
hot  water  pipes,  the  soil  becomes  too  hot  and  dry  close 
to  the  tunnels  while  it  is  too  cold  midway  between  them. 
Forcing  steam  into  the  tunnels  keeps  the  soil  moist  and 
maintains  more  continuous  fermentation  of  the  manure 
mulch,  thus  promoting  steady  heat. 

The  crop  produced  in  this  way  was  larger,  of  finer 
quality,  and  the  bed  produced  longer,  than  that  forced  by 
any  other  method  tried.  The  plants  thus  forced  recuper- 
ate by  being  allowed  to  grow  one  summer  without  cut- 
ting, while  plants  transplanted  for  forcing  are  ruined 
by  the  i:)rocess. 

The  amount  of  soft  coal  used  to  force  a  plot  25  x  25 
feet,  in  this  way,  from  December  29  to  February  25  (58 
da3^s),  was  2,308  pounds,  costing  $1.82,  or  an  average  of 
39  pounds  daily.  During  these  58  days,  steam  was  turn- 
ed into  the  six  tunnels  of  this  plot  a  total  of  I614  hours, 
equivalent  to  17  minutes  daily,  or  less  than  three  minutes 
daily  for  each  tunnel.  The  forced  asparagus  yielded, 
during  the  58  days,  at  the  rate  of  9,882  bunches,  or 
4,880  ponnds  per  acre.  The  yield  of  rhubarb  has  not 
been  stated.  About  five  minutes  at  a  time  is  as  long 
as  steam  can  be  forced  into  a  tunnel  without  danger  of 
overheating  the  plants. 

Forcing  the  crops  where  they  can  be  grown  in  the 
field,  has  a  twofold  advantage;  saving  the  trouble  and 
cost  of  transplanting,  and  avoiding  the  injury  done 
to  the  plants  by  transplanting. 

Exhausting  steam  into  the  bed,  instead  of  returning 
it  to  the  boiler  in  an  inclosed  circuit,  would,  at  first, 
seem  to  be  a  wasteful  process  of  heating.  Experiment 
showed,  hoAvever,  that  the  circumstances  justified  this 
method.  Heating  a  bed  of  this  kind  by  a  circuit  of  steam 
pipes-  or  hot  water  pipes  is  very  unsatisfactory.  The 
heat  from  pipes  very  soon  dries  out  the  soil  around  the; 
tunnels,  destroying  its  power  to  conduct  heat.  In  this 
way  the  bed  becomes  too  hot  and  dry  adjacent  to  the 
tunnels,  and  too  cold  a  short  distance  from  them.  It 
also  becomes  necessary  to  maintain  heat  in  the  pipes 
a  good  part  of  the  time. 


86  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

By  blowing  steam  directly  into  the  tunnels  the  soil 
is  kept  moist;  the  steam  has  a  penetrating  effect,  and 
permeates  all  parts  of  the  bed,  giving  a  uniform  heat 
throughout;  this  moist  steam  keeps  up  a  continual  fer- 
mentation of  the  manure  mulch,  thus  giving  heat  and 
only  occasional  brief  steamings  are  necessary.  Care  must 
be  taken  not  to  use  too  much  steam  at  one  time,  or  the 
plants  nuiy  be  ruined  by  over  heating.  Our  rows  were 
four  feet  apart,  the  tunnels  midway  betwetni  them  were 
only  eight  inches  wide,  and  yet  we  found  that  five 
minutes  at  a  time  was  as  long  as  was  safe  to  force 
steam  into  a  single  tunnel. 

These  experiments  have  been  so  successful  as  to  in- 
dicate that  anyone  provided  with  a  steam  heating  plant 
could  successfully  force  asparagus  or  rhubarb  for  the 
markets  in  this  manner.  To  still  further  test  forcing 
by  steam,  in  the  open  field,  we  are  now  growing  a  field 
in  which  four  inch  drain  tiles  have  been  placed  one  foot 
below  the  surface,  in  such  a  way  that  we  expect  to  use 
them  for  under-drainage,  for  sub-irrigation  and  for 
steaming  the  crop  for  winter  forcing. 

Exliibiiion  Stalks. — When  it  is  desired  to  grow  espe- 
cially large  stalks  of  rhubarb  for  a  choice  trade  or  for 
exhibition  purposes,  it  is  possible  to  increase  the  natural 
size  by  thinning  out  all  but  the  vigorous  center  buds, 
simply  cutting  them  oft'  with  a  sharp  spade,  allowing  the 
whole  strength  of  the  roots, to  go  to  the  large,  vigorous 
looking  buds,  of  which  not  more  than  one  or  two  should 
be  allowed  to  develop.  To  stimulate  the  hill  to  its  ut- 
most, set  a  large  flower  pot  into  the  ground  between  the 
hills,  in  the  row,  as  in  the  accompanying  illustration,  and 
fill  it  often  with  liquid  manure  of  v/hich  too  much  can- 
not be  given.  A  good  substitute  for  liquid  manure  is 
nitrate  of  soda  dissolved  in  water,  using  about  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  the  soda  to  two  or  three  quarts  of  water. 
Varieties  like  the  Mammoth  treated  by  this  plan  will 
oTow  stalks  of  enormous  size  and  attract  much  attention 


YARIOUS   FORCING   METHODS. 


87 


at  the  local  agricultural  fairs  and  prove  a  splendid  ad- 
vertisement for  the  grower. 

.1  Good  Plan  for  forcing  in  the  early  spring  although 
somewhat  more  expensive  than  the  one  of  heaping,  up 
earth,  is  b}'  use  of  frames  made  by  driving  stakes  into 
the  ground  each  side  of  the  row  between  every  pair  of 
hills.  These  project  three  feet  above  ground,  and  leave 
two  feet  between  the  opposite  rows  of  stakes.  Slant  the 
stakes  one  way  a  little  so  that  they  are  only  15  inches 
apart  at  top.     Fasten  the  laths  to  the  top  of  the  stakes. 


Forcing  with  Liquid  Manure. 


and  also  along  the  sides.  Then  cover  the  frame  all  over 
wiih  fresh,  strawy  sta])le  manure,  making  a  layer  about 
one  and  one-half  feet  tliick.  Inside  the  frame  the  temper- 
ature will  be  quite  high,  sometimes  60  degrees  or  more. 
If  it  rises  too  high,  holes  may  be  made  through  the  top  of 
the  frame  for  ventilation.  This  plan  will  force  the  rhu- 
barb almost  as  well  as  a  hotbed  and  does  not  require 
transplanting  the  plants.  It  does  not  permanently  weak- 
en the  plants  as  it  docs  to  put  them  in  greenhouse  fore- 


88  THE   NEW   KHUBARB   CULTURE. 

ing  beds.  The  growth  of  the  plant  may  be  considerably 
hastened  by  a  simple  covering  six  inches  deep  of  light, 
strawy  manure,  taking  care  not  to  cover  them  so  deeply 
as  to  cause  the  plants  to  decay.  It  sometimes  happens 
that  a  gain  of  a  few  days  in  supplying  the  local  market 
will  increase  the  total  receipts  from  the  rhul)arb  planta- 
tion by  one-third.  The  price  will  sometimes  drop  within 
a  week  from  10  cents  per  pound  at  retail  to  three  or 
four  cents,  and  all  tlie  profit  is  made  by  the  man  who 
gets  the  top  prices.  In  city  markets  the  difference  be- 
tween the  very  early  prices  and  those  a  little  later  is 
not  so  pronounced  on  account  of  competition  of  green- 
house and  southern  rhubarb.  But  in  many  of  the  sm'aller 
cities,  the  supply  is  entirely  from  outdoor  growth,  and 
the  earliest  stalks  are  bought  eagerly  and  at  a  high  price. 

A  Plan  of  Forcing  sometimes  practiced  is  to  trans- 
plant the  hills  into  large  deep  pots,  the  space  around 
the  roots  being  filled  up  with  sandy  loam  and  the  pot 
set  in  the  cellar  where  the  temperature  can  be  raised 
sufficiently  to  start  vegetation.  As  soon  as  the  heat 
is  applied  the  plants  will  begin  to  start,  each  pot  will 
produce  two  or  three  cuttings.  After  the  third  cutting 
the  roots  may  be  taken  up  and  replanted  where  they 
will  begin  growing  again  without  having  suffered  very 
serious  injury  in  the  process.  If  there  is  a  sufficient 
supply  of  roots  dug  the  pots  can  be  refilled  and  another 
early  crop  grown. 

A  Practical  Way  to  blanch  stalks  in  spring  is  to  throw 
up  the  soil  with  a  plow^  about  a  foot  thick  over  the 
hill.  Xearly  the  whole  stalk  will  then  be  blanched  and 
more  delicate  in  color  and  flavor.  This  covering  of 
earth  must  be  leveled  down  when  the  cutting  ceases. 
Keeping  up  the  leveling  process  will  dispose  of  most  of 
the  woods.     Tho  lonvos  aft(^r  oiittino\  if  spread  on  Uw 


VARIOUS  FORCINa  METHODS.  89 

earth  about  the  hills,  will  also  assist  greatly  iji  smother- 
ing the  weeds,  besides  having  considerable  fertilizing 
value  and  acting  as  a  partial  mulch. 

It  is  customary  with  many  gardeners  to  place  head- 
less barrels  or  boxes  over  the  hills  in  spring  in  order 
to  force  an  extra  growtli  of  stalk.  By  this  plan  the 
stalks  shoot  up  long  and  slender  but  do  not  weigh  more 
than  if  left  to  grow  in  their  natural  manner.  They 
are  rather  more  tender  than  stalks  not  forced,  but  the 
process  somewhat  weakens  the  hill,  and  it  is  on  the 
whole  not  profitable. 

Portable  Forcing  House. — In  his  forcing  book,  Pro- 
fessor Bailey  describes  a  unique  plan  for  open  field  forc- 
ing by  installing  a  system  of  surface  steam  pipes  to  be 
covered  with  a  movable  roof  of  muslin.  In  sj^ring  the 
cloth  roof  is  removed. 


CHAPTER  II. 

EXPERIENCE    IN   FIELD    CULTURE. 

As  a  farm  or  market  garden  crop,  rhubarb  is  grown 
in  large  tracts  near  many  of  the  principal  cities  of  the 
United  States.     ]\[ethods  everywhere  are  quite  similar. 


Rhubarb  Field  in  Jamaica,  L.  I, 


Immense  quantities  are  brought  to  the  markets  of 
Greater  N'ew  York  by  'New  Jersey  and  Long  Island 
One  of  the  most  extensive  growers  is 


farm  gardeners. 


EXPERIENCE  IN   FIELD   CULTURE.  91 

Abraiu  A^aii  Sieklen  of  Jaiiiaica,  L.  I.,  who  devotes  about 
12  acres  to  the  crop  besides  300  sash  for  cold  forcing. 
One  of  his  main  fields  appears  in  the  illustration. 

The  plan  of  management  is  as  simple  and  inex- 
pensive as  possible.  Plants  obtained  by  division  of  old 
hills  are  set  4i/>  x  2  I/2  feet.  The  soil  is  light  clay  loam 
and  is  well  manured  before  plowing.  Cultivation  begins 
eai'ly  in  spring,  is  repeated  as  often  as  the  ground  gets 
hard  or  weeds  appear,  and  continued  until  plants  begin 
to  die  down  in  autumn.  ^Fanure  is  plowed  in  each  fall 
and  sometimes  a  dose  of  ready  mixed  commercial  ferti- 
lizer is  applied  in  the  spring.  Stalks  are  pulled  only 
once  each  season,  but  the  harvesting  is  quite  thorough, 
all  the  large  stalks  being  removed.  -The  crop  is  marketed 
just  as  pulled,  leaves  on,  and  stalks  tied  in  bunches  of 
two  or  three  pounds.  These  bunches  are  packed  on 
market  wagons  as  closely  as  possible  and  carted  10  or  12 
miles  to  market.  Mr.  Van  Sicklen  estimates  the  yield 
at  10  tons  per  acre  in  favorable  seasons.  He  does  not 
consider  the  outdoor  crop  very  profitable  on  account  of 
low  prices  in  recent  years.  When  the  market  is  6versup- 
i:)lied,  the  surplus  must  be  sold  to  canners  at  almost  give- 
away prices.  The  variety  grown  on  the  Van  Sicklen 
farm  is  the  Victoria,  which  although  later  than  the 
Linnseus  is  of  better  size  and  appearance,  and  as  soon  as 
it  enters  the  market  the  smaller  kind  is  crowded  out. 
Canners  will  not  usually  buy  the  Linnaeus.  Growers  who 
have  extra  early  land  find  it  nevertheless  profitable,  be- 
cause it  reaches  the  market  several  days  before  the  Vic- 
toria. 

Four  acres  of  Mr.  Van  Sicklen's  12-acre  tract  are 
devoted  to  growing  plants  for  the  cold  frames.  After 
once  forcing,  these  plants  are  usually  thrown  away  as 
worthless.      Hence   new   plants   must   be   started   every 


02  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

year  in  order  to  have  enough  mature  phmts  ready  for 
forcing  and  to  renew  the  outdoor  plantations  which  are 
plowed  up  every  three  or  four  years,  or  as  soon  as  the 
stalks  get  too  small  for  hunching,  and  a  new  plantation 
is  set  on  fresh  land.  The  cold  frames  are  of  a  common 
style  except  that  the  sides  are  fully  two  and  one-half 
feet  high  to  allow  for  growth  of  the  rhuharh  stalk.  They 
are  illustrated  on  page  80.  Two-year-old  phmts  are 
packed  into  frames  as  closely  as  possible  and  the  spaces 
filled  with  earth  and  manure.  Sashes  are  put  on  early 
in  February  and  the  crop  gets  to  market  well  ahead  of 
the  field-grown  product.  It  is  marketed  in  the  same 
way  as  the  open-air  crop,  but  with  more  care  in  cleaning 
and  bunching. 

For  tlie  Waslbington  Market. — The  most  southern 
district  in  which  rhubarb  is  grown  in  large  acreage,  is 
the  market  gardening  section  of  Maryland,  supplying  the 
city  of  Washington.  Many  of  the  gardeners  raise  from 
one  to  three  acres,  and  the  aggregate  is  large.  The  plant 
seems  to  thrive,  and  there  is  always  a  surplus  of  the 
product  for  early  shipment  to  the  various  northern  cities. 
By  using  hothouses,  hotbeds .  and  cold  frames,  assisted 
by  the  warm  climate,  some  of  the  growers  obtain  a  very 
early  and  profitable  crop. 

A  leading  grower  of  this  section,  Mr.  Elias  B.  Eowell, 
writes:  "A  well  drained  but  moist  loam  seems  to  suit 
rhul)arb  the  best.  Tlie  plant  will  be  killed  by  standing 
Avater,  l)ut  liaving  a  rank  habit  of  growth  it  requires  an 
abundance  of  moisture. 

"The  early  rhubarb  sells  the  highest.  Hence  a  south- 
ern exposure  and  protection  from  north  and  west  winds 
are  desirable.  The  people  in  this  neighborhood  are  mar- 
ket gardeners  and  small  truckers  growing  quite  a  variety 
of  crops.    Hence  there  are  no  very  large  fields  of  rhubarb 


EXPERIENCE    IN    FIELD    CULTURE.  93 

liciv,  three  acres  would  be  al)()iit  llie  limit  for  any  one 
oTOwer.  There  is  bnt  one  variety  grown  in  this  section, 
the  LinnaMis. 

"Eluiharl)  is  nsually  planted  abont  3  x  3  feet,  the  sets 
))eing-  made  by  subdividing  the  old  hills.  About  the  time 
the  rluil)arb  begins  to  start  in  the  spring  the  hills  are 
covered  with  fresh  manure  to  induce  earliness.  I  sell 
my  rhubarb  in  Washington,  but  a  large  part  of  the 
crop  is  shipped  by  dealers  to  places  further  north.  Very 
little  rhubarl)  is  sent  here  from  the  south,  our  early 
market  being  sup})lied  by  rhubarb  grown  in  hothouses, 
hotbeds,  cold  frames,  etc. 

"The  crop  is  a  profitable  one  on  soil  that  is  adapted  to 
it.  For  outdoor  rhubarb  the  price  ranges  from  five  cents 
to  two  cents  per  bunch  of  four  or  five  stalks,  the  size  and 
length  increasing  as  tlie  price  decreases." 

A  Veteran  Rliubarh  Grower  in  the  Boston  market 
gardening  district,  Mr.  M.  Sullivan  of  Kevere,  kindly 
supplies  the  following  account  which  fairly  represents 
the  methods  employed  in  that  section : — 

'^I  would  select  a  location  open  and  free  of  trees, 
south  or  southeast  aspect,  having  a  deep,  rich  soil.  Open 
deep  furrows  with  the  plow  four  feet  apart,  shoveling  out 
all  loose  soil  down  to  hardpan.  Fill  one-half  of  the  open 
furrow  with  the  best  well  rotted  stable  manure  in 
which  set  the  roots  two  eyes  to  a  piece.  Cover  with  the 
hoe  or  a  very  light  furrow  with  a  one-horse  plow,  the 
plants  to  be  three  feet  apart  in  the  row.  The  varieties 
most  cultivated  are  the  Linnaeus  and  Victoria.  The  first 
named  is  about  two  weeks  earlier  than  the  other,  and  it 
is  yet  an  open  question  as  to  which  is  more  profitable. 

"The  time  of  planting  considered  best  by  market 
gardeners  is  just  after  the  spring  crop  is  gathered ;  this 
would  be  in  July  and  August.     The  first  season,  keep 


94  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

the  ground  stirred  and  free  from  weeds,  and  in  the  fall 
apply  a  liberal  quantity  of  stable  manure  placed  directly 
on  top  of  each  plant.  The  second  year  in  the  spring 
the  ground  is  plowed  between  the  rows  and  the  manure 
on  top  of  the  rows   forked  under. 

"Xo  crojDping  should  be  allo^ved  the  second  year  after 
planting,  but  the  ground  kept  well  cultivated  and  free 
from  weeds. 

^'In  the  fall  a  heavy  dressing  of  manure  should  be 
spread  all  over  the  planting  and  this  plowed  up  towards 
the  rows.  The  third  year  from  planting  an  early  forking 
up  of  the  soil  about  the  plants  will  help  forward  them, 
and  one  or  two  strippings  for  market  may  be  made.  The 
plantation  is  then  made  and  is  good  for  from  six  to  ten 
years  according  to  care  and  cultivation.  It  would  be 
fair  to  estimate  the  average  annual  value  of  the  crop 
at  $200  per  acre. 

"The  preparation  for  market  is  simply  to  remove  the 
leaf  down  to  about  two  inches  of  the  stalk,  and  pack  in 
boxes  or  tie  in  bundles  of  20  to  30  pounds.  Weighing 
should  be  done  at  time  of  loading  and  tags  attached  or 
the  weight  numbered  on  boxes,  preparing  in  this  way  for 
instant  delivery." 

Chat  on  Rhuharh. — On  the  Squire  estate  near  Boston 
is  a  one-acre  patch  of  rhubarb  which  produced  large 
and  paying  crops  for  many  years.  "How  large  a  crop 
do  3^ou  get?''  was  tbe  question  asked  of  Foreman  Con- 
nell. 

"From  eight  to  10  tons,  so  far  this  year,  from  this 
field  of  one  acre,"  was  the  reply,  "and  we  shall  keep  on 
picking  for  a  month  longer.  We  picked  three  rows  this 
morning  and  sent  in  4,600  pounds.  We  go  over  about 
one-third  of  the  patch  every  other  day,  so  that  the  whole 
field  is  o'one  over  about  once  a  week." 


EXPERIENCE   TN    FIELD   CULTURE.  95 

"What  are  the  prices?"' 

"A  cent  and  a-half  to-day  (May  15).  The  first  pick- 
ing was^  sold  at  four  cents,  which  was  a  lower  figure 
than  usual  at  the  start.  The  western  rhuharb  keeps  the 
price  down  this  year,  l^sually  it  does  n't  go  below  one 
cent,  but  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  it  should  drop  to 
50  cents  a  hundred  this  season.^' 

"What  is  the  variety?'' 

"The  Victoria.     That  is  the  largest  and  best." 

"How  do  you  gather  it  ?"' 

"We  have  one  man  go  l)etween  the  rows,  pulling  two 
rows  at  a  time.  Others  follow  and  cut  off  the  leaves, 
clean  the  stems  and  pack  in  barrel  boxes.  At  the  work- 
room the  rhubarb  is  tied  in  bundles  of  25  or  30  pounds 
each."' 

"How  is  the  rhubarb  cultivated  ?'" 

"There  is  n't  much  work  to  it.  The  big  leaves  shade 
tlie  ground  and  smother  the  weeds.  The  hills  are  set 
4x4  feet,  but  we  only  cultivate  one  way.  We  begin  after 
picking  time  and  cultivate  a  few  times  before  autumn, 
when  we  apply  about  12  cords  of  horse  manure  per  acre 
broadcast  and  cultivated  into  the  soil.  Then  in  the 
spring  we  cultivate  again.     That  is  all."' 

Methods  in  Illinois. — The  earliest  field  grown  rhu- 
barb reaching  northern  markets,  excepting  a  few  ship- 
ments from  the  Pacific  coast,  comes  via  Chicago  from 
the  extensive  growers  of  southern  Illinois.  These  ship- 
ments have  for  the  past  dozen  years  skimmed  the  cream 
of  high  prices,  and  the  growing  competition  is  severely 
felt  by  eastern  producers.  The  Illinois  district  is  near 
the  southern  limit  of  the.  greatest  vigor  of  the  rhubarb 
plant,  and  is  favored  with  sunny  skies  and  early  soil. 
The  methods  are  not  essentiallv  different  from  those  of 
other  sections,  as  mav  be  seen  from  the  following  account 


96 


THE   NEW   RHUBAKB   CULTUEE. 


of  tlic  ni.'Uiagemont  of  Jaims  IVll's  lar<ie  field  in  Union 
Co.^  Illinois : — 

"I  have  about  20  acres  of  pie  plant  nnder  cultivation. 
I  do  not  know  wjiat  varieties  they  are  as  the  first  I 
planted  I  got  the  roots  from  a  farmer  here  and  have 
never  made  any  test  as  to  variety.    At  the  present  time 


RHriJAKli 


VDV  roK  New  York  Market. 


I  am  raising  live  stock  and  get  the  manure  from  them  to 
fertilize  with  and  believe  that  is  the  best  plan.  The 
manure  is  spread  over  the  ground.  ])ut  not  on  the  hills, 
in  the  fall  and  turned  under. 

"The  plants  are  set  four  feet  apart  each  way,  and 
about  four  inches  dee]).    I  try  to  keep  them  free  from  all 


EXPERIENCE  IN  FIELD  CULTURE. 


97 


grass  and  weeds  by  running  a  double  shovel  twice  each 
way  through  the  rows  five  or  six  times  during  the  season 
after  pulling  for  market.  Xo  irrigation  is  needed  here. 
I  do  not  try  to  force  but  where  possible  plant  on  a 
slope  toward  the  south.     To  gather  the  crop  the  jnillcrs 


pp* 

pmk 

1*^.- 

! 

Rhubarb  in  Field  Culture. 

go  first  pulling  two  rows,. laying  the  stalks  in  the  middle 
betAveen  the  rows.  The  trimmers  come  after  them  cut- 
ting off  the  leaves  and  placing  the  stalks  in  boxes.  These 
boxes  are  carried  to  a  bench  and  are  tliere  packed  for 
shi])ineDt  in  a  ."id-pound  package  whicli   1   manufacture, 


98  THE   NEW    KHUBAKB    CULTURE. 

22  inches  long,  having  two  heads,  each  12  inches  square. 
The  price  in  Chicago  market  begins  at  six  cents  and 
gets  as  low  as  one  cent  per  pound." 

.4  Wisconsin  Specialist. — Tn  the  region  about  the 
great  lakes  are  many  rhubarb  specialists,  who  devote 
large  areas  to  the  crop,  and  ship  much  of  the  product 
south  and  east  to  the  large  cities.  The  business  of 
winter  forcing  elsewhere  described  in  this  volume,  has 
reached  great  development  in  the  section  to  which  allu- 
sion has  been  made.  One  of  the  most  extensive  growers 
of  the  open-air  crop  is  Mr.  F.  S.  Thompson,  of  Wiscon- 
sin, whose  annual  ^deld  of  100  tons  or  more  requires 
10  to  15  acres  devoted  to  the  plant  in  various  stages 
of  growth.  His  methods  may  be  summarized  as  fol- 
lows : — 

A  black,  sandy  loam  is  preferred.  If  sod  land  is 
used  it  is  worked  one  season  before  setting  to  rhubarb. 
In  the  spring  the  surface  is  heavily  manured,  then  the 
land  is  plowed  deep  and  well  harrowed,  leveled  with  a 
drag,  rolled,  and  the  rows  marked.  Ashes,  bone  meal, 
or  hen  manure  are  sometimes  added  as  an  extra  dressing 
when  available.  Plants,  usually  obtained  by  division 
of  old  roots,  are  set  4  x  4  or  4  x  5  feet,  according  to  the 
variety  of  rhubarb.  Every  ninth  row  is  left  unplanted 
to  allow  a  driveway  for  teams  in  tending  and  harvesting 
the  crop.  Holes  for  planting  are  made  with  a  spade. 
Several  shovelfuls  of  manure  are  ])ut  in  with  each 
plant.  The  plants  are  set  crowns  le\'el  with  the  ground. 
Stalks  are  not  pulled  from  new  beds  until  the  third 
season. 

During  the  season  the  cultivator  is  run  often  enough 
to  keep  down  the  weeds.  Late  in  the  fall,  any  remain- 
ing weeds  are  pulled  up  and  carried  away,  also  the  leaves 
and   refuse,  to  prevent  frost  l)eing  held  by  them  in  the 


EXPERIENCE   IN   FIELD    CULTURE. 


99 


spring.  But  if  leavoR  are  not  very  numerous  the}^  are 
allowed  to  remain.  Finally,  a  furrow  is  plowed  close 
fceside  each  iu\\-  on  one  side  only  as  in  the  illustration, 


Method  of  Ridging  in  Fall  and  Spring. 

and  in  such  a  way  that  the  ridge  is  left  facing  the  south. 
That  is  to  say,  the  furrow  is  made  on  the  sunny  side  of 
the  row,  the  idea  being  that  the  exposure  brings  out 
the  frost  more  quickly  in  the  spring. 


100 


THE   NEW   RHUBARB    CULTURE. 


l''hese  furrows  are  half  filled  with  coarse  manure 
JJ^^^^^Q^ving  spring  and  the  ridge  of  earth  near  the 
'plants'^turned  back,  covering  the  manure  and  leaving 
another  small  furrow  very  close  to  the  hills.  This  second 
furrow  is  partly  filled  with  manure,  and  finally  the  whole 
surface  is  leveled  off  with  a  fork  or  pronged  hoe,  at 
the  same  time  taking  pains  to  stir  all  the  soil  about  the 


m 


-Ridged  Bed  in  "Wixteh. 

hills.     The  application  takes  25  to  50  loads  of  manure 
per  year  per  acre. 

The  first  stalks  are  pulled  when  not  over  six  inches 
high.  The  help  are  instructed  to  grasp  the  stalk  near 
the  lower  end,  and  to  avoid  breakage  the  pullings  are 
left  in  the  sun  until  slightly  wilted,  thus  making  such 
kinds  as  the  Victoria  less  brittle.  The  stalks  are  carted 
to  the  packing  house,  where  ilie  rool   cuds  arc  cleaned 


EXPERIENCE   IN   FIELD   CULpURE.     ^^ lOT" 

\  WUliam  Stuart, 

and  the  leaves  clipped  within  less  tha\  an  inch  of  the  ^ 

stalk,  if  meant  for  distant  market,  but  Tt^^J^ypt^rjJ^^ 
the  leaves  are  left  on.    Bunches  are  made  up  ofTrOlir  lAV'o 
to  five  stalks,  according  to  size  of  stalks,  tied  with  twine, 
and  carted  to  market  or  crated  and  shipped. 

This  grower  trims  old,  overgrown  roots  with  a  plow, 
simply  gouging  off  a  portion  of  the  hills  when  they 
become  overgrown.  The  part  torn  off  by  the  plow  in 
this  way  is  of  little  use  for  transplanting,  and  does  not 
leave  the  hill  in  such  good  condition  as  when  the  work 
is  done  with  a  spade.  But  for  large  fields^  the  plow 
method  is  a  great  time  saver.  From  the  parts  torn  off 
by  tlie  plow,  many  plants  can  be  picked  out  which  will 
answer  for  transplanting,  although  most  of  them  are 
too  ragged  in  appearance  for  anything  but  home  use. 
Unless  the  hills  are  trimmed  in  some  way  the  stalks  grow 
smaller  year  by  year,  until  in  five  or  six  seasons  they 
are  not  large  enough  for  market. 

On  this  farm  the  favorite  variety  is  tlie  Red  Mam- 
moth, because  of  its  large  size,  red  color  and  great  yield. 
Mr.  Thompson  estimates  the  product  of  an  acre  of  this 
variety  at  over  3,000  dozen  bunches  per  year,  worth  in 
the  Milwaukee  market  on  the  average  between  $500  and 
$600.  He  estimates  for  one  acre  the  average  yearly 
expense,  taking  a  term  of  twenty  years,  at  about  $150 
per  vear.  When  growing  rhubarb  in  hotbeds,  he  counts 
on  $10  to  $15  per  sash  of  common  size. 

On  the  Pacific  Coast  the  rhubarb  crop  succeeds  un- 
der irrigation  or  in  the  cool,  moist  climate  of  the  regions 
near  the  sea.  In  California  there  are  large  growers  who 
supply  the  local  markets  and  who  also  ship  large  quanti- 
ties overland  to  the  cities  of  the  eastern  and  central 
states.  In  the  state  of  Washington  the  cultivation  of 
rhubarb  has  hardly  passed  the  experimental  stage,  but 


102  THE   NEW   T^HUBARB   CUETUEE. 

some  at  least  of  the  standard  varieties  have  been  shovn 
to  succeed.  Both  in  Washington  and  Oregon  the  Chi- 
nese gardeners  have  supplied  a  good  share  of  the  market 
product;  in  fact  the  largest  growers  in  Oregon  are 
Chinamen.  The  yellow  gardeners  manure  highly  and 
cultivate  thoroughly,  which  are  the  two  main  essentials 
in  field  culture,  and  the  plant  thrives  luxuriantly  under 
their  care.  The  horticulturist  and  gardener  of  the 
Oregon  experiment  farm,  George  Coote  of  Corvallis, 
describes  his  method  of  cultivation  as  follows : — 

"Before  ])lanting  out,  I  have  tlie  soil  dee]dy  plowed 
up  two  furrows  deep;  this  is  done  by  plowing  the  first 
furrow  deep,  and  following  in  the  same  furrow,  thus 
getting  a  dei)th  of  15  or  IG  inches.  Then  I  place  well 
rotted  manure  in  the  bottom  of  the  furrow,  and  with 
the  hoe  I  pull  in  about  six  inches  of  soil  over  the  manure. 
This  done,  I  plant  every  five  feet  in  the  row.  I  find 
that  the  plants  make  a  much  better  growth  when  treated 
in  the  manner  described,  as  it  enables  the  roots  to 
penetrate  the  soil,  and  the  growth  is  much  better  than  in 
shallow  soil.  The  varieties  grown  here  are  the  Victoria 
for  early  and  the  Giant  for  late. 

"I  have  relied  on  barnyard  manure  only,  digging  it  in 
around  the  plants  in  the  late  fall.  In  early  spring  I 
have  used  the  licpiid  from  the  stable,  diluting  one-half 
with  Avater,  and  ])lacing  it  in  a  small  trench  around  the 
plant  and  letting  it  soak  down  the  roots.  This  treatment 
I  find  helps  the  growth  wonderfully.  My  method  is  not 
to  pull  the  i)lants  every  year,  as  they  soon  run  out.  I 
find  by  giving  them  a  rest  every  other  year  the  strength 
is  kept  up.  I  pull  every  other  plant  this  year  and  give  it 
a  rest  the  next.  Constantly  pulling  weakens  the  plant 
to  such  an  extent  that  in  three  or  four  years  it  is  fit 
for  nothinsf.^' 


CHAPTER  III. 

VARIETIES  AND   STATION   TESTS. 

Several  of  the  standard  kinds  are  briefly  noticed  at 
the  conclusion  of  Part  I,  Chapter  III.  The  ordinary 
varieties  succeed  in  all  parts  of  the  country  except  in 
the  extreme  south,  wlu>re  drought  and  continued  hot 
weather  prove  unfavoral)le ;  the  plants  shoot  up  to  seed, 
andj  unless  favorably  situated,  soon  die  out.  In  the 
eastern  states  the  kinds  mostly  grown  are  Linnagus  for 
early  and  A'ictoria  for  late.  Other  kinds  are  reported 
tried  only  in  an  experimental  way.  In  the  South  these 
two  standard  sorts  appear  to  have  been  the  only  ones 
publicly  tested. 

The  same  varieties  constitute  the  great  bulk  of  rhu- 
barb shipments  made  by  the  extensive  growers  of  the 
central  western  states  to  eastern  markets,  although  the 
larger  kinds  have  lately  been  meeting  with  some  favor. 
The  rhubarb  specialists  of  Wisconsin  and  the  Northwest 
also  depend  largely  on  the  older  standard  kinds,  both  for 
outdoor  crop  and  for  wiuter  forcing.  Some  specialists 
here,  however,  prefer  for  main  crop  the  large,  late  variety 
known  as  Stott's  Mammoth,  Mammoth  Red,  and  under 
various  other  titles.  This  kind  is  distinct  from  the 
Mammoth  Green,  and  shows  good  color,  either  outdoors 
or  in  forcing  pits. 

Linnaeus. — The  standard  for  earliness  is  Linnaeus. 
It  has  fine,  bright  color,  thin,  tender  skin  which  does  not 
need  to  be  removed  in  cooking.  The  flavor  and  appear- 
ance of  the  cooked  product  is  unsurpassed.  Most  im- 
portant of  all,  it  is  the  earliest  of  the  standard  kinds.    Its 


104  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

weak  point  is  the  comparatively  small  size  of  the  stalks, 
and  the  smaller  yield.  It  reaches  market  nearly  a  week 
earlier  than  A^ictoria,  and  is  therefore  the  more  profitable 


Stalks  of  Linn.eus. 

for  growers  whose  main  profit  comes  from  early  sales. 
On  account  of  its  inferior  size^  it  does  not  sell  readily 
after  the  large  kinds  get  to  market,  and  is  not  usually 


Stalks  of  Victoria. 

wanted  by  canners,  who,  like  the  general  public,  appear 
to  judge  rhubarl)  by  the  size  alone. 

Victoria. — The  standard  for  the  mid-season  crop  is 


VARIETIES   AND   STATION   TESTS.  105 

the  old  Victoria.  It  is  about  a  week  later  than  Liiiiiseus 
and  about  a  week  earlier  than  the  mammoth  varieties. 
Stalks  are  large  and  of  fine  appearance.  Their  color  is 
bright  and  clear,  the  tiber'  is  crisp  and  tender,  with 
plenty  of  juice,  and  the  flavor  is  excellent.  Most  can- 
ners  and  wine-makers  prefer  it  to  all  others.  Both  for 
market  and  for  home  use,  it  is  grown  far  more  commonly 
than  any  other  variety.  It  produces  less  weight  per 
acre  than  the  mammoth  kinds.     Another  weak  point 


Bunch  of  Victoria  Ready  for  Market. 

is  its  overabundant  production  of  seed.  Seed  stalks  are 
numerous  throughout  the  season  and  must  be  removed  as 
soon  as  they  show  or  the  plant  becomes  weakened. 

Mammoth  Red  ovStotVs  Mammoth. — This  variety 
is  catalogued  under  several  different  names,  but  is  com- 
monly known  by  the  wholesale  growers  of  the  eastern, 
central,  and  northern  states  as  the  Mammoth  Red,  or 
simply  as  Mammoth.  On  the  Pacific  coast  the  same 
variety,  or  one  very  similar,  is  called  The  Giant.  It 
is  a  tremendous  cropper,  growing  four  to  five  feet  high. 


106 


THE   XEW    RHUBARB   CULTURE. 


including  leaves,  in  field  culture  and  producing  a  great 
number  of  short,  thick  stalks  to  the  hill.  The  color 
of  the  stalks  is  a  deep  red,  whether  grown  outdoors 
or  in  the  forcing  house.  The  texture  and  flavor  are  not 
so  fine  as  with  tlie  smaller  and  less  rankly  growing 
varieties,  but  the  general  appearance  is  so  attractive 
that  the  Mammotli  will  crowd  out  the  earlier  and  smaller 


BiNCH  OF  Mammoth  Red. 


sorts  as  soon  as  it  appears  in  the  market.  For  winter 
forcing  it  is  preferred  bv  many  growers  to  any  other 
kind.  It  is  a  steady  yielder  throughout  the  season,  and 
gives  comparatively  little  trouble  with  the  seed  stalks. 

St.  Mariins. — This  variety  is  of  English  origin,  and 
has  been  highly  recommended,  but  practical  tests  do  not 
seem  to  support  its  claims  to  favor.  Introducers  ascribed 
to  it  a  delicious,  nutty  or  spicy  flavor,  but  the  Ontario 
experiment  station  considered  its  quality  poor,  aud  stalks 
were  not  readv  for  use  until  from  three  to  six  days  after 


VARIETIES   AXD   STATION   TESTS. 


lo: 


Liiiiiiuus.     11   is,  however,  a  productive  kiiul^  and  the 
stalks  are  large,  and  of  good  appearance. 

Monarch. — A  Boston  seedsman  introduced  a  Scotch 
importation  of  rhubarb  about  fifteen  years  ago  under 


Hill  of  St.  Maktin's. 

the  name  of  Monarcli.  For  several  years  it  was  awarded 
first  prize  at  the  exhibitions  of  the  Mass.  Horticultural 
Society,  as  the  largest  and  finest  variety.  On  one  occasion 
the  twelve  stalks  shown  weiglied  28  iioiinds,  leaves  off. 


Monarch  Rhubarh. 


The  writer  has  found  this  kind  rather  inferior  in  quality 
and  the  skin  is  rough.  The  average  length  of  the  stalks 
is  about  15  inches,  but  they  are  of  large  size,  many  stalks 
weighing  more  than  one  pound  each.     Color  is  fairly 


108  THE   NEW    T^HUEARB   CULTITRE. 

bright.  It  considerably  rcseiiibk's  Mauiinoth  Red  or 
Stott's  Maininotb,  and  matures  at  al)oiit  the  same  time, 
but  is  a  less  abundant  yielder. 

There  are  numerous  varieties  of  rhubarb  outside 
those  mentioned.  Some  of  them  reach  extreme  size,  but 
the  hirge  kinds  are  mostly  inferior  in  quality  and  are 
later  than  the  medium  size  kinds.  There  is  an  orna- 
mental variety,  a  native  of  the  Himalaya  mountains,  that 
is  of  some  interest  from  its  decorative  value.  The  leaves 
are  large  and  glossy,  a  vivid  green,  the  stems  are  distinct 
red,  while  the  flower  stems  are  of  a  bright  golden  yellow, 
and  so  prominent  as  to  be  far  more  showy  than  the 
greenish  pink  edged  flowers.  The  stalks  have  the  quali- 
ties of  other  varieties  of  rhubarb,  but  this  kind  is  not 
adapted  for  commercial  uses. 

Range  of  Varieties. — On  the  Pacific  coast  and  in 
Canada  the  same  varieties  have  been  found  to  succeed 
as  in  the  central  and  eastern  United  States.  At  the 
Ontario  station  seven  varieties  were  tested  in  rows  six 
feet  apart,  plants  four  feet  apart  in  the  rows.  They  were 
Egyptian  Queen,  Carleton  Club,  Linnaeus,  Paragon, 
Stott's  Mammoth,  St.  Martin,  and  Victoria.  The  verdict 
was  that  Linnaeus  is  one  of  the  best  for  market  or  home 
use.  Paragon  was  later  than  Linnaeus  and  not  so  good 
quality  and  suffered  from  sunburn.  St.  Martin  was  large 
but  poor  quality.  Carleton  Club  was  the  largest  of  all, 
and  of  quite  good  quality.  Stott-s  ]\Iammoth  is  also 
large  but  stalks  are  shorter.  One  leaf  of  this  kind 
measured  31  x  38  inches.  It  is  late  but  the  quality  is 
the  best.  Egyptian  Queen  was  a  very  fine  flavor,  medium 
size,  and  considered  good  for  home  use  or  market. 

Northern  Limits. — This  hardy  vegetable  has  been 
tested  as  far  north  as  the  northwest  territory  of  Canada 
where  it  seems  to  thrive,  endurinfj  the  winter  cold  rather 


VARIETIES   AND   STATION   TESTS.  109 

better  than  tlie  suiniucr  dnnitli,  however.  The  varieties 
most  used  are  Tottle's  Improved,  whieli  is  an  English 
importation,  and  the  okl  standard  Victoria  and  Straw- 
berry. The  phmt  has  also  been  successfully  grown  in 
northwest  and  central  Alaska  where  very  few  of  the 
vegetables  Avill  survive  the  climate.  In  the  Northwest 
Territory,  Victoria  and  Linnaeus  were  fit  for  use  May  31, 
although  not  as  large  as  Carleton  Club  or  Stott's  Mam- 
moth, they  were  of  finer  flavor.  One  stalk  of  the  Carle- 
ton  Club  measured  over  nine  inches  in  circumference. 
Stott's  Mammoth  appeared  not  well  adapted  to  the 
climate  and  many  plants  died. 

At  the  Dominion  experiment  farm  in  Manitoba  in 
1893,  20  standard  varieties  were  tested,  some  of  them 
imported  from  England,  others  obtained  from  the  United 
States.  It  was  found  that  the  standard  kinds  would 
thrive  and  ripen  seed  in  abundance.  The  earliest  kind 
reported  was  Manitoba  Seedling  N'o.  1,  which  was  ob- 
tained by  planting  the  seed  of  the  Victoria.  This  kind 
is  ready  for  use  May  26. 

Another  interesting  test  of  earliness  and  yield  was 
made  at  the  Manitoba  experiment  station.  It  is  how- 
ever, unfortunate  that  the  seedlings  were  not  tested 
along  with  some  of  the  standard  kinds.  The  stalks  of 
the  plants,  set  out  the  preceding  year,  were  pulled  every 
10  days  and  weighed;  below  will  be  found  the  returns 
per  plant,  etc.  As  the  plants  were  set  4  x  4  feet  the 
rate  of  returns  per  acre  were  in  some  instances  very 


large.     Following  are  the  tabulated  results: — 

Variety. 

Yield  per  plant, 

Seedling  of            Ready  for  use 

lbs.     oz. 

Quality. 

Victoria,                         May  26, 

21      02 

Choice,  tender. 

Myatt's  Linnseus,           May  28, 

19      13 

Good 

Johnston  St.  Martin      June  1, 

-6      00 

Green,  hard,  poor. 

Stott's  Mammoth,          June  10, 

5      11 

Fair  quality. 

Tottle's  Improved,         June  1, 

18      13 

Good,  tender. 

110  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CUr/IURE. 

ProinisiiKj  iieiv  Hei'tUiiigs. — Sccdliiigs  ol'tcii  vary  con- 
siderably from  the  parent  stock,  and  many  growers 
who  liave  raised  their  stock  from  seed  have  obtained 
variations  which  are  worthy  careful  testing  at  the  ex- 
2:)eriment  stations.  For  instance,  Prof.  Maynard  of 
the  Massachusetts  station  is  trying  a  new  seedling  of 
the  Linna?us,  which  is  of  a  peculiarly  bright  pink  or 
red,  and  which  would  present  a  very  attractive  appear- 
ance in  the  early  market.  Manitoba  experiment  station 
tried  a  number  of  seedlings  of  the  Victoria,  and  dis- 
covered one  that  was  ready  for  use  -^May  26,  or  several 
days  earlier  than  any  of  20  standard  kinds  tested.  It  was 
also  a  hea\y  cropper,  producing  20  pounds  two  ounces 
per  plant.  The  flavor  was  good  and  the  stalk  tender. 
These  instances  show  the  great  possibilities  in  the  im- 
provement of  the  plant.  The  originator  of  a  mammoth, 
high  colored  variety  which  should  have  the  earliness  and 
fine  quality  of  the  Linneeus,  would  no  doubt  find  a 
profitable  sale  for-  his  discovery. 

Work  of  tlie  Experiment  Stations. — Comparatively 
little  has  been  done  with  the  rhubarb  crop  at  the  ex- 
periment stations.  Most  stations  have  rested  content 
after  having  tested  the  adaptability  of  the  plant  to  the 
soil  and  climate,  and  after  comparing  the  dift'erent 
varieties.  Rhode  Island  has  conducted  valuable  experi- 
ments in  dark  forcing,  as  described  elsewhere  in  this 
volume,  and  in  bulletin  55  of  the  station.  Professor 
F.  W.  Card  who  carried  on  these  tests,  writes : — 

"Tests,  the  past  winter,  since  the  publication  of  that 
bulletin,  show  that  in  a  cool  cellar  the  plants  are  too 
slow  in  coming  into  growth  to  give  satisfactory  results, 
although  the  product  is  excellent,  when  obtained.  Any 
cellar  in  which  a  furnace  is  kept  running  during  the 
winter  will  give  good  results  or  the  temperature  may 


VARIETIES   AND   STATION   TESTS.  Ill 

be  maintained  by  means  of  a  lamp  or  oil  stove,  and 
partitioning  otf  the  place  where  the  plants  are  growing 
with  canvas  or  other  material.  The  forced  product 
grown  in  this  way  is  very  attractive,  the  color  of  the 
stalks  being  particularly  bright  and  beautiful." 

Xew  Jersey  station  lias  tried  LinUcPus  for  winter 
forcing,  but  thinks  Victoria  would  have  succeeded  better, 
and  recommends  use  of  two-year-old  plants  in  place  of 
one-year-olds,  for  forcing.  Missouri  station  reports  fair 
success  with  winter  rhubarb  under  greenhouse  l)enches, 
and  is  trying  a  new  method  of  outdoor,  steam  forcing, 
as  described  in  Chapter  T.  The  stations  of  Ontario,  the 
Dakotas,  Alaska,  Northwest  Territory,  and  Manitol)a 
have  done  useful  work  in  testing  hardiness  and  adapta- 
bility of  old  and  new  varieties.  The  results,  al^o  the 
Massachusetts  experiments  with  rhubarb  varieties,  are 
included  in  the  descriptions  of  varieties  in  the  preceding 
part  of  this  chapter. 

Several  of  the  southern  experiment  stations  have 
tried  the  crop,  but  with  poor  success  in  the  extreme  south, 
where  the  long  summer  drouth  appears  to  kill  out  the 
])lants.  in  a  year  or  two,  unless  located  at  a  high  altitude 
where  the  summers  are  cooler,  or  unless  cidtivated  under 
irrigation.  Maryland  is  the  most  southern  state  where 
the  crop  is  reported  grown  on  a  commercial  scale  to  any 
great  extent,  but  the  success  of  the  crop  under  irrigation 
in  California,  Idaho,  Colorado,  and  other  parts  of  tli(> 
avid  eectiou.  \v(uild  indicate  that  rhubarb  will  thrive 
hixuriantly  wherever  there  is  frost  in  winter  and  an 
abundant  supply  of  water  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
growing  season. 

At  Texas  experiment  station,  the  rhubarl)  plants  died 
out  in  the  drouth  of  August,  whenever  tested.  But 
the  experimenters  report  a  good  growth  of  the  plant  in 


112  THE    NEW    RHITBARP.    rin.TURE. 

spring  and  early  suiiinu'r,  Tiiid  they  suggest  that  rhubarb 
might  pay  if  grown  as  an  annual  crop,  fresh  roots  being 
set  every  year. 

In  Louisiana,  the  crop  is  grown  in  gardens  only,  by 
those  who  have  obtained  roots  from  the  North.  At- 
tempts have  been  made  to  grow  the  plant  at  the  state 
experiment  station,  but  without  continued  success.  Rhu- 
barb is  not  on  sale  in  the  markets,  and  no  demand  for 
the  product  has  been  created,  the  people  being  un- 
familiar with  its  use.  The  long,  hot  summer  of  the 
Gulf  coast  region  seems  to  prevent  proper  root  develop- 
ment, and  the  only  benefit  from  the  plant  is  from  roots 
obtained  from  the  North  in  spring,  and  used  only  one 
year.  In  the  South,  rhubarb  may  be  set  in  the  late 
fall  with  success ;  transplanting  any  time  before  Christ- 
mas. In  fact  the  fall  transplanting  is  likely  to  be  fully 
as  successful  as  when  the  operation  is  performed  in 
spring,  unless  the  locality  is  so  far  south  that  the  roots 
fail  to  get  the  l^racing  etfect  of  a  freeze  in  winter. 

Rhubarb  cannot  be  successfully  grown  in  North 
Carolina  except  in  the  cool  soil  of  the  high  mountain 
valleys.  Horticulturist  W.  F.  Massey  of  the  state  ex- 
periment statioii  has  tried  it  repeatedly  at  Raleigh,  ])oth 
with  purchased  roots  and  seedlings,  and  in  the  dry  soil 
tliere  it  rarely  survives  the  first  summer.  In  low  moist 
bottom  land  some  partial  success  may  be  had,  but  it  is 
apparently  not  a  plant  adapted  to  commercial  culture 
there.  With  strong  roots  brought  from  the  North,  Prof. 
Massey  could  easily  force  the  stalks  in  winter  under 
greenhouse  benches,  in  cellars  or  in  barrels  in  the  open 
ground  packed  around  with  heating  manure,  but  the 
first  winter  would  end  the  usefulness  of  the  roots.  He 
has  now  a  piece  of  low,  black  soil  in  which  he  proposes 
to  make  another  experiment  with  the  plant,  but   has 


VARIETIES   AND   STATION   TESTS.  118 

never  yet  succeeded  in  growing  a  crop  of  rhubarb  or  of 
gooseberries  or  currants  there,  though  all  succeed  in  the 
western  part  of  the  state  in  the  valleys  and  table  lands 
elevated  from  2,000  to  4,000  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  elevated  regions  of  Arkansas  are  likewise  favor- 
able to  successful  culture  of  rhubarb,  although  the  plant 
has  received  no  special  attention,  and  there  are  as  yet 
no  large  growers.  Horticulturist  Walker  of  the  Arkan- 
sas state  experiment  station    writes  : — 

"We  have  growing,  a  few  plants  of  Linnaeus  rhubarb 
at  tlie  station  in  Fayetteville,  and  I  am  convinced  that 
with  attention  to  cultivation  in  the  heat  of  summer,  and 
the  selection,  so  far  as  possible,  of  the  cooler  locations, 
and  1)y  thorougli  manuring,  the  plant  can  be  grown  suc- 
cessfully even  on  our  more  sandy  soils.  In  many  re- 
spects its  requirements  are  like  those  of  celery.  The 
difficulty  usually  is  with  this,  in  common  with  other 
crops,  that  the  grower  ordinarily  does  not  give  the  plant 
the  proper  care.  In  suitable  soils  and  locations  in  this 
part  of  the  state  there  is  little  difficulty  even  with  in- 
different care,  but  in  soils  less  perfectly  suited  to  it, 
good  and  intelligent  care  is  the  price  of  success.  All 
this  northwest  portion  of  the  state  is  elevated.  Just 
how  well  the  plant  will  do  in  the  lower  and  warmer  parts 
of  the  state  remains  to  be  determined." 

One-half  acre  of  Linnaeus  rhubarb  is  grown  by  K.  C. 
McCullom  near  Fayetteville',  and  he  seems  to  make  it 
thrive  as  well  as  in  the  north.  He  declares  he  finds 
it  about  the  most  profitable  of  all  his  crops.  It  is  planted 
in  rows  about  four  feet  apart,  by  two  and  one  half  or 
three  feet  in  the  row.  The  location  is  on  the  top  of  a 
mountain  at  an  elevation  of  some  1,200  feet  or  more. 
The  fornuition  is  limestone.  Tlie  soil  is  a  rich  clay 
loam,  very  similar  to  tlie  soil  in  the  blue  grass  lands  of 


HI  THE   ^\E\V   EHUBARB    CULTUKE. 

Kentucky.  His  princij^al  cutting  is  in  the  spring.  The 
plant  makes  a  splendid  fall  growth  and  would  furnish 
a  crop  at  this  season  if  the  market  coukl  use  it.  The 
soil  is  what  is  known  as  ^'Pawpaw"  land. 

Much  of  the  soil  of  the  district  is  a  sandy  loam,  and 
often  nearly  sand.  In  such  soil,  the  plant  is  naturally 
not  so  much  at  home  as  in  the  cooler  loam.  But  even 
here,  it  could  no  doubt  be  grown  with  some  care.  An- 
other successful  grower  in  the  same  locality  is  Jacob 
Schlafley.  From  the  plant  he  makes  a  wine  which  those 
who  have  tasted  it  pronounce  a  fine  drink.  He  has  on 
account  of  his  rhubarb  wine  some  local  fame. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HINTS   AND    HELPS. 

For  Eai-hj  Marl'ct. — The  secret  of  the  earliest  out- 
door rluil)arb,  which  always  brings  a  good  price,  con- 
sists in  an  early  variety  grown  on  early  land  with  a 
])rotected,  sunny  slope.  High  niannring  must  not  he 
omitted,  for  the  rankest  growing  plants  are  also  the 
earliest.  Good  cultivation  is  the  remaining  essential 
to  earliness.  The  bulk  of  the  crop  will  of  course  depend 
largely  upon  the  water  supply,  and  irrigation  will  pay, 
if  practicable.  In  starting  the  plantation,  set  only  plants 
witli  strong,  vigorous  looking  roots.  Accept  only  those 
which  have  grown  rapidly  under  high  culture,  and  do 
not  be  swindled  with  stunted  roots  dug  out  of  grass  land. 

The  ground  should  be  plowed  deeply,  since  the  roots 
go  down  three  or  four  feet.  In  regard  to  manuring  there 
is  no  danger  of  getting  too  much.  Rhubarb  is  the  rank- 
est of  rank  feeders,  and  manure  may  be  applied  in  any 
quantity  directly  to  the  hill  when  setting  the  crowns. 
10  or  12  cords  to  the  acre  is  none  too  much.  The  ma- 
jority of  growers  make  a  mistake  right  here  in  not  feed- 
ing the  plant  liberally  enough.  Set  the  plants  either 
-1  X  4  or  3  X  5  feet.  When  set  -1  x  4  tlie  hills  can  be 
cultivated  both  ways,  but  the  plant  itself  gives  so  much 
shade  that  most  growers  cultivate  only  one  way  and  the 
weeds  give  little  trouble.  No  hand  hoeing  is  needed. 
The  main  difficulty  is  in  getting  the  rhubarb  rightly 
started. 


116 


THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 


The  after  care  is  very  simple.  After  the  picking 
season  run  a  cultivator  often  enough  to  keep  the  weeds 
down.  Three  or  four  times  will  usually  be  enough.  The 
great  point  is  to  apply  plenty  of  manure.  Spread  on  10 
or  12  cords  to  the  acre  just  before  the  last  cultivating, 
and  let  the  cultivator  work  it  into  the  soil.  The  follow- 
ing spring  cultivate  again.  If  any  artificial  fertilizer  is 
wanted  the  only  thing  worth  while  is  nitrate  of  soda. 


,„J,p5^„,«yil^l^^|p,yjjl,„ 


Packing  Shed  for  Rhubarb, 

Growers  not  prepared  to  make  the  land  as  rich  as  pos- 
sible, had  better  let  rhul)arb  alone.  In  the  spring,  culti- 
vate once  before  picking  time. 

Gathering  the  crop  is  a  fine  art.  Pick  only  the  stalks 
that  have  nearly  attained  their  growth.  These  are  most- 
ly on  the  outside  of  the  liill  and  can  be  selected  by  the 
smootlmess  and  dull  color  of  the  leaf,  and  the  mature 
appearance  of  tlie  stalk.     The  growing  stalks  look  red 


HINTS   AND    HELPS.  117 

and  vigorous  and  the  leaves  are  small  and  rumpled. 
These  latter  should  be  left  to  grow.  The  cutter  should 
keep  watch  for  blossom  stems  and  pull  them  out  or  cut 
them  off  near  the  ground  as  soon  as  seen.  Not  a  seed 
should  be  allowed  to  form,  during  the  entire  season.  In 
gathering  the  stalks  take  them  away  with  a  straight, 
quick  pull,  whip  off  the  leaf  and  scrape  the  root  end,  and 
leave  the  stalks  in  small  heaps,  all  pointed  in  one  direc- 
tion ready  for  the  man  who  comes  after  to  gather  into 
baskets  or  boxes,  or  into  the  cart.  The  leaves  should  be 
spread  over  the  weeds  near  the  plants.  Rhubarb  leaves 
will  help  smother  all  weeds  and  grass. 

Pacl-ing  and  Shipping. — A  good  packing  house  is  a 
great  convenience.  It  should  be  put  up  with  especial 
reference  to  the  rhubarb  crop,  but  will  be  found  quite 
suitable  for  other  vegetables,  also.  A  satisfactory  build- 
ing used  by  a  Wisconsin  specialist  is  illustrated  herewith. 


Interior  Plan  of  Packinc;  Shed. 

together  with  interior  plan.  The  floor  dimensions  arc 
18  X  3(;  feet.  It  is  lightly  built  and  the  sides  covered 
with  building  paper.  There  is  a  door  at  each  end  and 
a  large  sliding  door  at  one  side  for  convenience  in  load- 
ing.    The  two  tallies  are  each  tliree  feet  high,  three  feet 


118  THE    NEW    KHUJUKH    C^ULTURE. 

wide  and  13  feet,  six  inches  long,  leaving  three  feet 
passageways  around  and  between  the  tables,  and  spaces 
six  feet  and  nine  feet,  respectively  on  each  side.  Cur- 
tains should  shade  the  windows  enough  to  keep  out  part 
of  the  light.  A  stove  for  keeping  a  tire  in  cold  spring 
weather  is  desirable,  and  a  well  and  pump  or  other 
source  of  water  supply  is  a  great  convenience  for  wash- 
ing the  vegetables.  Shelves  over  the  tables  are  handy 
for  tools  and  twine. 

The  rhubarb  is  brought  in  and  piled  in  the  nine  foot 
space  against  the  wall.  The  root  ends  are  scraped  and 
it  is  transferred  to  the  table,  where  one  packer  sizes  the 
bunches,  another  ties  them  and  a  third  cuts  the  leaves. 
It  is  then  piled  on  the  other  side  of  the  tables  until 
loaded  for  market.  To  avoid  heating,  it  should  not  be 
shipped  in  too  large  packages. 

Insects  and  Blights. — The  rhubarb  grower  is  fortu- 
nate in  being  obliged  to  contend  with  only  one  insect 
pest  of  any  consequence.  During  the  spring  and  early 
summer,  he  is  likely  to  notice  some  stalks  with  a  gummy 
substance  about  a  puncture  near  the  leaf,  although  it 
sometimes  appears  quite  close  to  the  root.  The  gummy 
substance  is  partially  dried  sap  which  leaks  out  from 
the  puncture  produced  by  the  work  of  the  rhubarb 
curculio  shown  in  the  illustration:  a  is  the  grub  worm 
which  does  the  actual  damage.  The  grubs  feed  upon 
the  root  as  well  as  the  stalk :  h  shows  the  pupa  form  and 
c  the  full  developed  curculio  wliich  hatches  from  the 
pupa.  The  grubs  are  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
long,  white  in  color  with  a  brown  head.  The  pupa  is 
whitish  and  about  half  an  inch  long.  The  grown  beetles 
are  brownish  and  covered  with  yellowish  dust.  The 
pictures  are  somewhat  magnified  and  the  exact  size  is 
shown  l)y  the  accompanying  lines.    Eggs  are  laid  during 


HIXTS    AXD    HELPS. 


119 


the  spring  and  summer  in  the  young  flower  stalk  or 
near  the  crown  of  the  plant.  They  hatch  in  a  few  clays, 
and  the  grub  goes  to  work  at  once  on  the  root  or  stem, 


The  Rhubarb  Ci  uculio. 


growing  rapidly  and  developing  into  beetles  from  August 
to  October  according  to  the  time  of  hatching.  The  in- 
sect seems  to  prefer  laying  its  eggs  upon  the  flower 
stalks  of  the  yellow  dock,  and  if  the  dock  plants  in  the 
neigliborhood  are  destroyed  and  the  rhubarb  not  allowed 
to  develo])  its  flower  stalk  the  number  of  eggs  which 
hatch  will  be  very  greatly  reduced.  The  only  other 
remedy  ])racticed  is  collecting  and  destroying  the  beetles 
whenever  noticed.  If  the  dock  plants  are  quite  thorough- 
ly disposed  of,  the  insects  will  not  do  very  serious  dam- 
age. An  illustration  shows  the  appearance  of  a  section 
of  stalk  which  has  been  punctured  and  gnawed  bv  the 
cui'culid  gnil)  making  it  worthless  for  market  purposes. 


120 


THE   NEW   KHUBARB   CULTUKE. 


Late  in  the  summer,  a  blight  or  "spot"  disease  attacks 
the  leaves,  causing  brown,  blistered  patches  to  appear  on 
the  foliage.  Finally  the  leaves  are  perforated  with  holes, 
as  the  substance  wastes  awa}'.  This  blight  seems  unable 
to  do  any  harm  when  the  plant  is  in  full  vigor,  but 
makes  its  attack  as  soon  as  the  growth  becomes  feeble. 
Sickly  hills,  or  tliose  on  dry  ground  are  first  affected. 


Stalk  Ixjured  uy  Cukculio. 


Sometimes  the  line  of  attack  will  show  quite  plainly  in 
a  field,  where  the  progress  of  the  spotting  is  stopped  by 
the  resisting  power  of  plants  on  a  strip  of  moister  soil. 
Spraying  with  bordeaux  or  carbonate  of  copper  mixture 
would  probably  check  or  prevent  the  spotting  and  thus 
somewhat  prolong  the  growing  season.  But  growers 
assume  that  the  blight  comes  too  late  to  do  much  harm 
to  the  next  year's  crop,  and  spraying  is  not  attempted. 


HINTS   AND   HELPS.  121 

In  several  of  the  large  rhubarb  fields  of  Long  Island, 
another  form  of  blight  or  similar  disease  has  been 
noticed,  and  is  the  cause  of  some  uneasiness  in  that  lo- 
cality. This  blight  causes  a  yellow  appearance  of  the 
leaves,  and  a  somewhat  stunted  growth.  It  appears  much 
earlier  in  the  season  than  the  ordinary  blight  which 
attends  the  dying  down  of  the  foliage  in  September. 
It  appears  mostly  on  hills  which  have  been  set  three 
yesLTs  or  more,  and  the  effect  is  to  seriously  lessen  the 
vigor  and  productiveness.  One  of  the  K"ew  York  ex- 
periment stations  is  now  engaged  in  a  study  of  this 
disease. 

Culture  of  Medicinal  Ehuharh. — Various  attempts 
have  been  made  to  raise  the  medicinal  rhubarb  in  the 
United  States,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  suppose  the 


Plant  ov  the  Medicinal  Rhubarb. 

plant  will  thrive  and  yield  a  first  quality  product,  when 
grown  in  a  mild  climate.  It  does  not  seem  to  succeed 
too  far  north.  When  on  trial  at  the  Massachusetts  ex- 
periment station  it  did  not  appear  to  thrive  or  to  give 
any  promise  of  profitable  growth  and  the  plants  were  re- 
moved. 


122  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

The  medicinal  species  is  grown  in  the  same  way  as 
the  varieties  cultivated  for  stalks.  In  field  culture,  a 
light  plow  furrow  should  be  made  on  each  side  of  the 
rows,  thus  covering  the  crown  buds  of  the  plants  with 
a  layer  of  soil,  which  will  form  a  ridge  to  throw  off  the 
water  and  afford  winter  protection.  In  spring,  this 
ridge  will  be  smoothed  down  with  a  light  harrow.  The 
roots  will  be  large  enough  for  removal  at  the  end  of 
four  years'  growth,  although  it  is  claimed  that  a  further 
growth  of  one  or  two  years  increases  their  medicinal 
value.  The  drug  is  often  prescribed  as  a  cathartic.  The 
following  account  of  the  medicinal  variety  and  its  cul- 
tivation is  by  Mr.  William  Saunders,  late  superintendent 
of  gardens  and  grounds  at  the  U.  S.  department  of 
agriculture : — 

It  is  now  generally  admitted  tliat  the  true  source  of 
the  best  rhubarb  of  commerce  is  Rheum  officinale.  This 
species  is  a  native  of  Thibet.  It  is  a  plant  of  robust 
growth,  often  reaching  five  to  six  feet  in  height,  and 
produces  large  heavy  masses  of  flowers.  The  leaves  are 
sometimes  five  feet  long.  The  ordinary  species  of  rhu- 
barb are  herbaceous  perennials,  with  a  thick  rootstock 
and  deciduous  leaves.  In  Rheum  officinale,  after  the 
third  or  fourth  year  from  seed,  the  rootstock  gradually 
decays  and  a  stem  is  formed  above  the  ground ;  the  plant 
then  derives  its  nourishment  from  small  roots,  which 
cannot  be  employed  in  medicii^e.  These  stems  have  thick 
branches,  often  six  to  eight  inches  in  diameter.  The 
portion  used  in  medicine  is  therefore  the  stem,  and  not 
the  rhizome  or  root. 

Seeing  that  the  sources  of  rhubarb  are  so  numerous, 
it  may  well  be  expected  that  its  commercial  distinctions 
and  medicinal  values  are  equally  varied.  Tlie  quality  of 
the  article  will  be  influenced  by  its  botanical  origin, 
the  climate  and  soil  in  which  it  w^as  grown,  the  age  of 
the  root,  the  season  when  gathered,  the  method  of  collec- 
tion, the  process  of  drying,  and  its  final  preparation  for 


HINTS    AND    HELPS.  '  123 

market.  The  portion  of  tho  plant  which  constitutes  the 
drug  will  also  iniluence  its  value.  The  article  furnished 
bv  the  stem,  or  a  part  very  close  to  the  stem,  will  differ 
from  one  obtained  from  the  root.  Good  rhubarb  has  a 
bitter,  astringent,  and  somewhat  aromatic  taste,  and 
feels  gritty  to  the  teeth,  owing  to  the  abundance  of  small 
crystals  of  oxalate  of  lime  which  are  contained  in  it.  It 
has  a  very  delicate  odor,  and  is  covered  with  a  fine  yellow 
.l)owder,  and  the  pieces  when  broken  present  a  mottled 
red  and  yellow  color,  owing  to  the  passage  of  a  number 
of  wavy  carmine-colored  streaks  through  the  yellowish- 
white  matrix.  Here  and  there  are  small  spots  of  a  dark- 
er color. 

It  is  considered  that  very  much  of  the  appearance, 
and  supposed  diiference  in  quality,  of  the  commercial 
rhubarb  is  wholly  owing  to  the  time  of  lifting  the  root 
and  the  care  given  to  its  preparation  for  market.  The 
Chinese  dig  up  the  roots  early  in  spring,  just  before 
the  leaves  appear.  After  lifting,  the  roots  are  divested 
of  all  small  fibers,  and  the  soil  and  other  impurities  re- 
moved by  washing.  They  are  then  allowed  to  dry  a  day 
or  two  in  the  sun,  then  cut  in  slices,  and  after  exposure 
to  the  sun  for  four  or  five  days  longer,  during  which 
time  they  must  be  turned  over  several  times  daily  to 
prevent  molding,  a  hole  is  bored  in  each  slice,  which  is 
then  strung  on  a  thread  until  sufficiently  dry.  They  are 
put  through  a  finishing  process  by  being  placed  in  a 
close  cylinder,  where  they  are  subjected  to  abrasion  by 
the  rapid  revolution  of  the  vessel.  This  smooths  their 
surfaces,  liberating  at  the  same  time  a  fine  dust  or 
powder,  which  envelops  each  piece  with  a  fine  bloom, 
like  that  upon  the  surface  of  a  ripe  plum.  A  considera- 
ble quantity  of  rhubarb  root  is  imported  into  this 
country  for  medicinal  purposes.  This  might  profitably 
be  grown  here,  provided  that  species  of  plants  which 
yield  the  best  article  could  be  procured  for  that  purpose. 
Large  quantities  are  grown  in  England.  The  English 
rhubarb  is  of  a  light  spongy  texture;  its  taste  is  astrin- 
gent and  mucilaginous,  but  destitute  of  the  aromatic 
and  gritty  qualities  possessed  by  the  more  highly  esteem- 


124  *THE   NEW    RHUBARB    CULTURE. 

ed  kinds.  It  is  probable  that  the  root  as  grown  in  the 
warmer  climates  of  this  country  would  be  equal  to  the 
best  article  of  the  kind  now  in  commerce.  The  slow 
sun-drying  process  adopted  in  other  countries  might  here 
be  completed  in  a  few  hours  in  a  drying  apparatus  by 
artificial  heat.  This  would  insure  against  danger  from 
moldiness  and  secure  good  color  and  flavor  with  more 
certainty  than  when  the  drying  process  is  wholly  depend- 
ent upon  the  direct  heat  of  the  sun. 

BliubarJ)  for  Home  Use. — The  culture  of  rhubarb, 
or  pie  plant,  for  home  use,  is  too  much  neglected  in  the 
average  country  districts.  Almost  every  family  would 
use  considerable  of  the  vegetable  in  early  spring  if  an 
ample  supply  w^ere  at  hand.  The  plant  will  stand  a 
great  deal  of  neglect,  being  a  relative  of  the  yellow  dock, 
and  almost  as  hard  to  kill.  Of  course  in  growing  for 
market  there  is  no  profit  unless  the  plant  is  given  the 
best  of  care  and  fertilization,  but  enough  could  be  pro- 
duced for  home  use  by  almost  any  method.  A  few  roots 
set  out  the  south  side  of  a  garden  wall  will  start  early, 
and  furnish  abundance  of  material  for  making  pies, 
dumplings,  sauces,  etc.,  in  the  spring  and  early  summer. 
This  supply  is  especially  welcome  after  a  winter  in  which 
apples  have  been  scarce.  Families  who  move  on  to  a 
new  farm  will  find  that  the  quickest  way  to  produce  a 
supply  of  material  for  pies,  sauces  etc.,  is  to  set  out 
rhubarb  plants.  If  these  are  obtained  by  dividing  old 
hills  they  will  begin  growing  at  once,  and  can  hs  pulled 
a  little  the  first  season.  The  vegetable  is  one  of  the 
easiest  to  preserve  by  canning,  preserve  in  glass  jars 
being  nearly  as  fine  flavored  as  the  fresh  gathered  article. 
It  is  also  good  to  preserve  by  drying,  cutting  it  in 
short  pieces  and  drying  in  the  same  manner  as  sliced 
apples,  or  running  them  through  an  evaporator.  The 
stalks  mav  be  cooked  before  d^-vino:  if  preferred.    When 


ht:>ts  axd  helps.  125 

ready  for  use  soak  and  use  the  same  as  dried  apples,  or 
mixed  with  dried  apples  for  sauces  and  pies.  A  dozen 
hills  will  supply  an  average  family.  Linnaeus  is  the 
best  kind  for  home  use. 

For  Seed  Raising,  select  the  earliest,  highest  colored 
and  most  luxuriant  plants.  Allow  but  few  seed  stalks 
to  mature'  from  each  hill.  When  the  seed  becomes  dry 
and  brown,  bring  the  stalks  indoors  and  strip  off  the 
seed,  spreading  it  out  thin  in  a  dry  room  away  from  rats 
and  mice.  When  thoroughly  dry,  store  in  tin  boxes  until 
wanted.  It  should  be  all  used  the  first  or  second  season, 
and  will  usually  come  up  very  poorly  if  kept  until  the 
third  spring.  Seed  is  not  produced  in  abundance  until 
the  plants  are  three  years  old.  Production  of  seed  always 
lessens  the  crop  of  the  following  year.  Do  not  allow 
the  seed  to  become  ripened  and  to  scatter  about  the 
farm,  as  the  young  plants  are  almost  as  hard  to  kill  as 
their  relative,  the  yellow  dock.  One  pound  will  sow 
about  six  average  hotbed  frames  and  should  yield  at 
least  1,000  plants. 

Rhubarb  seed  is  sometimes  sown  in  the  fall  and  will 
start  a  little  earlier  in  the  spring  by  that  method,  but 
will  not  come  up  so  evenly.  In  thinning,  some  allowance 
may  be  made  for  the  variety  grown.  The  Linnaeus  will 
do  very  well  two  feet  apart  in  the  rows,  the  rows  being 
four  feet  apart.  The  Victoria  and  other  large  kinds  do 
better  and  are  also  more  easily  cultivated  four  feet  apart 
each  way,  while  the  Mammoth  and  other  giant  kinds 
may  be  grown  to  advantage  4x5  feet. 

The  Seed  Bed  should  be  on  moist  loamy  soil,  well 
drained  but  not  suffering  greatly  from  drouth.  It 
cannot  be  made  too  rich,  and  nothing  is  better  than 
plenty  of  well  rotted  sta])le  manure  supplemented  with 
a  sprinkling  of  nitrate  of  soda.     The  drills  for  seeds 


126 


THE   NEW    RHXTBARB   CULTURE. 


should  be  about  one  inch  deep.  They  inciy  be  covered 
with  a  hoe,  and  should  be  well  pressed  down  with  the 
foot.  The  cultivation  of  the  young  plants  consists  mere- 
ly of  keeping  the  soil  about  them  light  and  free  from 
grass  and  weeds.    In  a  small  patcli  this  work  can  be  done 


Seebling  and  Root  Cftting. 


with  a  hoe  and  rake,  and  a  little  hand  weeding  is  neces- 
sary before  the  plants  get  large  enough  to  shade  the 
rows.  Directions  for  propagation  from  roots  and  from 
seed,  sown  either  under  glass  or  in  the  open  ground, 
are  given  in  Part  I.  There  is  but  little  essential  differ- 
ence between  a  well  grown  seedling  root  and  a  well 
selected  cutting  from  an  overgrown  hill.  But  the  root 
clumps  sometimes  sold  for  transplanting,  resemble  a  mis- 
shapen club  more  than  a  plant,  and  will  make  slow 
growth.    Thrifty,  branching  roots  are  best. 

The  Food  Value  of  rhubarb  seems  to  consist  almost 
entirely  in  its  tonic  properties  obtained  from  the  mineral 
matters  which  give  it  its  acid  quality.     The  food  analy- 


HINTS    AXD    HELPS.  127 

sis  made  at  Storrs  experiiiieut  station,  1891,  shows  that 
the  stems  contain  92.7  per  cent  of  water,  leaving  only 
7.3  for  the  nutritive  and  flavoring  constituents.  There 
is  only  eight-tenths  of  one  per  cent  protein,  1.2  per  cent 
fat,  4.-4  per  cent  glucose  and  nine-tenths  of  one  per 
cent  mineral  matter.  It  is  considered  as  a  food  no  more 
nutritive  than  an  equal  weight  of  turnips,  hut  its  value 
as  a  strong  tonic  and  appetizer  is  well  known  and  de- 
pends on  the  stimulating  and  corrective  qualities  of  the 
oxalic  acid  which  the  plant  contains. 

Fertilizing  Constituents  of  Rhubarb. — Rhubarh  con- 
tains considerable  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid,  which 
explains  the  good  results  of  using  nitrate  of  soda  and 
wood  ashes  as  fertilizers.  The  lime  in  the  ashes  also 
sometimes  produces  important  effects  by  sweetening  the 
soil.  Analyses  of  the  root  as  published  by  the  U.  S.  de- 
partment of  agriculture  show  a  composition  of  91.67  ])ev 
cent  moisture.  There  is  00.55,  or  about  one-half  of  one 
per  cent  of  nitrogen  and  practically  the  same  amount  of 
potash  (00.53),  while  of  phosphoric  acid  there  is  only 
00.06  per  cent.  The  stems  and  leaves  are  more  watery 
than  the  roots,  with  92.7  per  cent  moisture.  They  also 
hold  00.13  per  cent  nitrogen,  00.02  per  cent  phosphoric 
acid,  and  00.36  per  cent  potash. 

Irrigation  has  been  tried  with  good  success  at  Iowa 
station,  the  plants  l)eing  set  4x3  feet  in  rich  soil,  and 
the  water  applied  to  the  surface.  The  result  was  a 
rai)id  and  very  crisp  growth.  A^arieties  tested  were 
Linn^us  and  Victoria.  Montana  experiment  station  has 
also  succeeded  with  rhubarb  under  irrigation,  "the  yield 
being  large  and  the  quality  all  that  was  to  be  desired." 
Rhubarb  is  grown  successfully  under  irrigation  at  Colo- 
rado experiment  station. 

Field  Jottings. — Too   much   crowdins^   in   the   field 


128  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

is  porliaps  the  most  coiiuiioii  and  most  serious  mistake. 
4x4  feet  is  plenty  close  enough. 

^o  great  profits  without  lavish  manuring.  Ten  cords 
of  the  average  manure  is  about  what  the  large  growers 
expect  to  use  every  year  on  good  land :  25  to  50  big  loads 
will  be  somewhere  near  right.  Some  find  it  pays  them 
to  use  more.  N'obody  should  start  a  large  field  of  this 
hungry  vegetable,  who  is  not  able  and  willing  to  get 
as  mucli  manure  as  it  needs. 

For  handling  roots  use  a  long  handle  spade,  a  round- 
cornered  shovel  and  a  wide,  flat-pointed  crowbar.  This 
outfit  will  make  it  easy  to  dig  roots  for  new  plantings. 

Large  growers  make  considerable  money  selling  roots 
for  planting,  at  $7  to  $15  per  100.  Roots  are  shipped 
in  barrels  or  boxes,  packed  in  moss  or  cut  straw. 

The  very  earliest  crops  are  on  light  soils  fertilized 
abundantly  witJi  manure  and  nitrate  of  soda  and  well 
soaked  in  a  dry  time  with  artificial  water  supply. 

Rhubarb  is  such  a  rank  feeder  that  nothing  comes 
amiss.  Small  animals  which  are  found  dead  on  the 
farm  are  best  disposed  of  by  burying  near  the  rhubarb 
hills.  No  injury  results  to  the  plants,  and  if  so  treated 
they  produce  enormous  stalks. 

Cultivation  is  very  easy  because  the  great  leaves 
shade  the  ground  and  choke  out  weeds,  and  the  same 
leaves  after  cutting,  if  spread  along  the  roots,  also  assist 
in  keeping  down  the  weeds,  so  that  tlie  main  thing  for 
cultivation  is  to  keep  the  ground  fairly  mellow,  and 
work  in  whatever  manure  is  applied. 

The  plants  are  hard  to  kill  and  stand  most  any  kind 
of  ill  treatment  when  transplanting,  but  it  is  best  to 
handle  them  carefully,  and  set  during  a  wet  time  in 
order  not  to  lose  any  of  the  season's  growth. 

The  great  secret  of  success  in  raising  asparagus  and 


HINTS   AND   HELPS.  129 

rhubarb  is  high  manuring.  Both  phuits  are  gross  feed- 
ers. They  produce  so  many  stalks  and  leaves  and  they 
grow  so  rapidly  that  they  require  a  liberal  application 
of  manure  every  year.  Quickness  of  growth  is  con- 
ducive to  the  quality  and  tenderness  in  any  edible  vege- 
table, and  tliis  cannot  be  obtained  in  a  jioor  soil. 

Eliul)arb  needs  a  deep  and  very  fertile  soil,  and  it 
is  useless  to  expect  to  grow  it  in  a  thin,  dry  soil,  unless 
under  irrigation.  Xot  tluit  it  needs  wet  ground  by  any 
means,  but  a  soil  retentive  of  moisture  and  rather  in- 
clined to  clay;  thougli  good  rlmbarb  can  be  grown  in 
qnite  a  sandy  soil  if  it  be  well  manured.  Xo  amount  of 
fertilizer  we  have  ever  tried  will  take  the  place  of  stable 
manure  with  this  plant.  The  organic  matter  in  the 
manure  making  the  soil  more  retentive  of  moisture, 
makes  it  indispensable  when  large  and  succulent  stalks 
are  desired. 

The  stalks  of  rhubarb  are  excellent  substitutes  for 
fruit,  and  the  culture  of  this  plant  may  therefore  be 
commended  to  farmers  who  have  taken  np  new  places. 
By  sowing  rhubar])  seed  they  can  supply  tliemselves  with 
a  substitute  for  fruit  several  years  before  they  can  bring 
trees,  vines,  and  bushes  into  bearing. 

A  grower  whose  small  patch  produces  rliul»arb  of 
enormous  size,  explains  his  success  from  his  practice 
of  throwing  soapsuds  over  tlie  ground  on  washing  days. 
He  has  sold  $30  worth  from  the  patch  of  two  and  one- 
half  rods  in  a  single  season.  Manure  from  the  hogpen  is 
also  applied  and  would  no  doubt  of  itself  produce  a  good 
yield. 

Profits  from  the  outdoor  crop  are  difficult  to  estimate 
because  so  much  depends  upon  earliness.  All  the  cream 
of  the  prodnct  comes  from  the  early  part  of  the  crop. 
Ehubnrb  ai    five   to   10   cents  jiov  pound   is   one  of  the 


130  THE   NEW   RHUBARB   CULTURE. 

best  of  mone}^  crops.  When  the  quotations  drop  to  half 
a  cent  per  pound,  it  is  hardly  worth  while  to  go  to  the 
expense  of  gathering  it  and  shipping.  The  hills  are 
weakened  by  gathering  too  late  in  the  season,  and  many 
growers  wdll  not  ship  when  the  price  gets  below  one 
cent  per  pound.  Eeceipts  vary  from  $100  to  $500  per 
acre  and  the  difference  is  mainly  in  the  soil  and  ferti- 
lization, which  are  the  factors  affecting  earliness. 


T  -i  "K-r-**  'V%r 


